A former officer from the New South Wales Police has been incarcerated, facing allegations of involvement in a global network dealing in satanic child exploitation content.
David Turner, once a sergeant celebrated with the Rotary Police Officer of the Year award for his exceptional service, now confronts serious charges related to child exploitation material.
Authorities apprehended Turner on January 22 after executing a search warrant at a location in Sydney Olympic Park.
During the search, officials reportedly confiscated several electronic gadgets along with small quantities of methamphetamine and ketamine.
The 42-year-old Turner is charged with five offenses, including utilizing a communication service to access and distribute child exploitation material, possessing content involving bestiality, and two counts of illegal drug possession.
Investigators are expected to claim that these crimes were committed after Turner’s departure from the NSW Police Force.
His current employer, the NSW Telco Authority, said Turner had been suspended.
He is due back in court in March.
Former NSW Police Sergeant David Turner was arrested in relation to a child abuse ring
Police arrested him last week following a search warrant at a Sydney Olympic Park address
He once received an award for his ‘outstanding contributions’ to the NSWPF’s radio network
The arrest comes after NSW Police set up Strike Force Constantine last year to investigate the online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes.
In November, detectives uncovered a paedophile network in Sydney that was actively involved in possessing, distributing, and facilitating the material via a ‘website administered internationally’.
NSW Sex Crime Squad Commander Jane Doherty previously told reporters the videos were of children aged from infancy to 12-years-old allegedly being sexually abused.
These (videos) were particularly devastating and they used symbols and rituals around it in the discussions that they were having about abusing children,’ she said.
‘The sharing of child abuse material, unfortunately, is increasing, as you can see, in the internet and the applications that are available, unfortunately, make this not such a hard crime to commit.’
In November, detectives, along with the riot squad, executed six search warrants in Waterloo, Ultimo and Malabar before arresting four men.
Among those charged was Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills, 26, who was arrested at an apartment in inner-city Waterloo wearing a zebra-print outfit and covering his face with a blue beanie.
Police allege Germanotta-Mills played a leading role in the paedophile network.
Four men were arrested in November last year in relation to the alleged ring, including self-appointed independent journalist Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills (pictured)
Germanotta-Mills had pledged to report on child protection and expose institutional abuse before he was accused of controlling child abuse material in a satanic cult
He was charged with child abuse offences including seven counts of using a carriage service to make child abuse available, using a carriage service to access child abuse material, three counts of possessing child abuse data-use carriage service, two counts of disseminating bestiality material and possessing bestiality material.
The 26-year-old founded the Underground Media Network – an outlet described as an ‘independent Australian investigative journalism platform committed to exposing institutional failures and the misuse of power’.
According to the Underground Media Network’s website, the outlet investigates issues including police corruption and child protection.
Three other men were arrested at a unit block in Malabar and charged over their alleged involvement in the paedophile network.
Strike force investigations continue.
Anyone with information about organised criminal activity into the distribution of child abuse material is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
