A Wollongong police officer has been left terrified after she was subjected to a campaign of harassment on social media by a man she arrested.
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The senior constable, who the Mercury has chosen not to identify, arrested Bradley James McEwen in January last year and charged him with property damage and contravening an apprehended violence order.
While McEwen has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is awaiting a hearing in March, documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday said the 24-year-old had managed to identify the senior constable on Facebook in the intervening months, despite her using a fake name on her account.
In the early hours of December 21, McEwen posted a series of "defamatory and concerning" comments about the officer on the 'UOW Students Buy and Sell' Facebook page, alleging she and her family were corrupt and sold drugs.
He also posted pictures of her children he'd gotten from her page, along with the comments "I'll tag both her daughters in this. I've had enough of dirty police getting away with everything" and "enjoying her corrupt life while she destroys life on a daily basis".
Several people commented on the posts and replied to McEwen's own comments, warning him what he was doing was against the law.
"I can see a big, fat AVO coming your way and maybe a prison term," one person wrote.
"It's law not to use a service or phone in this way. I'd start packing a few things."
The court heard McEwen also sent the officer 16 direct messages on Facebook between 1.50am and 7.28am, all of which were of a harassing nature.
Meanwhile, the woman reported the matter to her superiors, resulting in McEwen's arrest just before 9am.
He was taken to Wollongong Hospital for a mental health assessment before being returned to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged with a single count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend.
He admitted his crime but refused to explain his behaviour in a formal interview, other than to say he'd been "angry".
McEwen pleaded guilty to the charge in court on Tuesday, with a set of agreed facts revealing the incident had left the senior constable living in fear.
"The incident has left [the senior constable] feeling fear and being concerned the accused will attempt to find where she currently resides," the documents said.
"She is concerned for the safety of herself and her family including her daughters. She does not feel safe in her own home."
McEwen remains behind bars and will face sentencing on February 1.
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