In August 2024, detectives attached to State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation into a Coffs Harbour man following a referral from Queensland Police Service.

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It is alleged the man had been grooming a 15-year-old girl he had met online and was threatening to send out videos of herself carrying out various compromising acts such as self-harming and performing sexual acts.

Following investigations, about 7.35am on Wednesday, strike force detectives – with assistance from Raptor Squad – attended an address in Safety Beach, approximately 30km north of Coffs Harbour, where they arrested a 28-year-old man.

During a search of the property, police located and seized various electronic devices which will undergo further forensic examination.

The man was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station, where he was charged with ‘using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child’, ‘to do/plan harm to person under 16 years’, ‘to groom under 16 years for sex’, to threaten to kill’, ‘to threaten to serious harm’, ‘to send indecent material to person under 16 years’, and to ‘cause child sexual activity’.

He was refused bail and appeared in Coffs Harbour Local Court the same day.

Commander of State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad, Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, said police are seeing a rise in sadistic sextortion cases.

“Sadistic sextortion is unlike typical cases of sextortion because the offender is not doing it for financial gain, rather victims are being coerced into producing extreme sexual and violent content,” Det Supt Doherty said.

“We want children to know there is always someone who will listen, and there are things we can do to get you out of any situation, no matter how frightening it is or what the offender is telling you.

“I hope this incident also acts as an alert to parents, who may be aware that their children are engaging in self-harm, that there may be deeper reasons for this that need to be explored with them in a supportive manner.”