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A Geraldton police officer, who allegedly supplied alcohol to two teenagers before sexually assaulting one of the girls, is in custody.
Key points:
- Child abuse squad have charged a 48-year-old Geraldton police officer with seven abuse offences
- Police allege Mark Kevin Swain met the underage girls through an online adult website
- He is the second Midwest–Gascoyne police officer to be charged with child sex offences in 12 months
Child Abuse Squad detectives allege Mark Kevin Swain met two 14-year-old girls on an online adult website and provided them with alcohol at his Wandina home.
Police say the 48-year-old then sexually assaulted one of the girls.
Mr Swain was arrested on Thursday and charged with two counts of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 16, three counts of encouraging a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual behaviour and two counts of supplying alcohol to juveniles.
The incidents allegedly occurred while Mr Swain was off duty, and he has since been stood down from work.
He is due to appear in Geraldton Magistrates Court today.
Mr Swain is the second Geraldton-based police officer to face child abuse charges in the past 12 months, with ex-WA police senior constable, Michael Richard Tyler, to be sentenced later this year for accessing and possessing child sex abuse material.
More to come.