NSW Sex Crimes Squad detectives have arrested a 26-year-old teacher and assistant sports coach from Canberra for alleged child grooming offences.

Detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit were conducting online operations while assuming the online identity of a 13-year-old girl, and spoke with a man on a number of occasions.

Police will allege the man made a number of sexually explicit comments and spoke about meeting.

Just after 7pm yesterday (Tuesday 9 June 2015), detectives arrested the man at Parramatta Police Station.

The private secondary school teacher and assistant sports coach from Deakin, in the ACT, was charged with using a carriage service to groom a person under 16, and using a carriage service to transmit indecent material to person under 16.

He was granted conditional bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday 29 July 2015.

Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the Child Exploitation Internet Unit, and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about children being approached online to report it immediately for investigation.

Anyone with information about internet predators should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: police.nsw.gov.au. Reports can also be made at your local police station.

Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Police remind people they should not report crime information via Facebook and Twitter pages.

Meanwhile, police are again urging parents and children to be mindful of the dangers associated with the internet.

Safe internet use – tips for parents:

• Be aware of how much time your child spends on the internet.
• Spend time talking to your child about the dangers associated with online conversations.
• Spend time exploring the internet with your children and let them teach you about their favourite websites.
• Consider installing filtering and/or computer blocking software provided by your internet service provider. The Netalert web page provides information on a number of commercially-available products at www.netalert.net.au.
• Ensure you are able to access your child’s email and randomly check the contents.
• Check your phone bill for unusual outgoing calls, or consider using a ‘caller ID’ device to identify incoming calls.
• Consult your telephone company for options designed to ensure privacy and security.
• Enquire with your child’s school, public library, and places they frequent, to find out what internet safety measures they have in place.
• Information on internet safety is available on the NSW Police website at: http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/community_issues/children/child_exploitation

Tips for children:

• Do not send a picture of yourself to anyone you don’t know and never place a full profile and picture anywhere on the internet.
• Never give out your personal information, including name, home address, phone number or school, over the internet.
• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone you have chatted with on the internet.
• Tell your parents or another adult you know of any contact that makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Remember that pressing ‘send’ is definite and final – you can’t get it back or take it down.