A 43-year-old man will face court on Friday accused of holding a 15-year-old girl against her will at a home in Port Kembla and grooming two other teenage girls online.
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Detectives from the Child Exploitation and Internet unit posed as a 14-year-old girl and allegedly began communicating with the man earlier this month.
Police will allege in court that the man engaged in conversations about sexually explicit acts he wished to perform on the child.
During an investigation, strike force detectives received information from officers at Lake Illawarra Police District that the man had allegedly detained a 15-year-old girl - who was known to him - at a home in Port Kembla in December 2018.
Following extensive inquiries, detectives arrested the man outside a home in Port Kembla just after 6pm on Thursday.
A mobile phone was seized and will undergo extensive examination.
The man was taken to Port Kembla Police Station where he was charged with take/detain person in company with intent to obtain advantage, use carriage service to groom under 16 years for sex and use carriage service to send indecent material.
Police will also allege in court that the man was speaking with a third girl, aged 13, and engaged in conversations about sexually-explicit acts he wished to perform on the child.
He was refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Friday.
The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.
Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
