Immigration detainee on pool visit 'touched girls' chests'

AN immigration detainee allegedly tried to touch the chests of a group of primary school girls during a day trip to a Darwin pool.

AN immigration detainee allegedly tried to touch the chests of a group of primary school girls during a Serco-supervised day trip to a Darwin swimming pool.

The Iranian man, who went to the Darwin Wave Lagoon with a group of 21 other detainees from the Darwin Airport Lodge facility, allegedly touched six girls aged between 10 and 12 on Tuesday afternoon before being removed by lifeguards.

The girls, on a primary school excursion, told a teacher about the alleged incident while the man was still swimming.

A bystander overheard the allegations and was the first to call police, despite Serco staff supervising the group's activities.

Police have not yet interviewed the man.

Lifeguards said the detainees at the pool were in family groups.

Police confirmed they were investigating reports of other incidents at the time and were reviewing CCTV footage.

"We currently have six female youths and a number of witnesses assisting with police inquiries," Detective Superintendent Scott Pollock said yesterday.

About 200 people were in the pool at the time, including children from five different schools.

A spokesman for the Immigration Department said staff were co-operating with the police investigation.

"The department can confirm there was an incident involving a detainee on an excursion to the wave pool in Darwin," the spokesman said. The department is also carrying out its own investigation.

After hearing the girls' allegations, a school teacher alerted lifeguards, who removed the man from the pool.

"We were able to get his name and hand him over to the Serco group and (lifeguards) escorted this gentleman off the premises," Surf Life Saving NT chief executive Tony Snelling said. "He was fully co-operative."

Mr Snelling said the pool was not sectioned off to stop detainees from coming into contact with the primary school students.

The woman who called police after hearing the allegations told the NT News Serco staff were not around at the time of the incident.

Serco refused to comment.