An officer once celebrated online as a vigilante hero has now been sentenced to prison after breaking into the home of a convicted child sex offender, tying him up, and stealing $100,000 in cash.

The New South Wales officer, whose name is kept confidential by court orders, was aware of the 78-year-old victim’s substantial cash reserve. This knowledge came from a previous search of the man’s property in connection with a 2020 child sex offence.

Several years later, the officer, along with an accomplice, traveled from Sydney to the remote residence. To evade detection, they borrowed a vehicle, filled jerry cans with fuel for the journey, and left their cell phones behind.

On the night of October 3, 2024, the duo forcefully entered the elderly man’s home. They subdued him by forcing him to the floor and restraining his hands and feet.

Under threats of further harm, the victim disclosed the location of the safe key, allowing them to abscond with approximately $100,000.

The officer admitted guilt to charges of aggravated burglary and has been sentenced to at least six years in prison, potentially extending to a decade.

NSW District Court judge Robert Newlinds said the level of the officer’s offending was “very high”, particularly as he misused his professional knowledge to both target the victim and avoid detection.

“Use of private information gathered by the process of search warrants for anything other than proper purposes connected to the administration of justice is entirely unacceptable and must be deplored,” Judge Newlinds said.

The court heard the 2020 police search of the home resulted in the elderly man being charged and convicted of a child sex offence.

The media attention from the 2024 robbery led to the officer being celebrated as a “hero” on social media, while the victim was shunned in his small town.

“I consider the consequences to the victim to be extraordinary and over and above what might be considered usual or expected,” the judge said.

“The victim had served his time for his crime and was entitled to be left alone to live his life without being bashed and robbed by a police officer involved in investigating his crime.

“Let alone, members of the public vilifying the victim and praising the offender.”

The court was told the officer was moving from active duty to be considered for medical discharge at the time of the robbery.

The once ambitious detective’s mental state had deteriorated by 2021 after his work exposed him to traumatic incidents like homicides, child sex abuse, sexual assaults and fatal car crashes.

In late 2023, a probationary constable twice recklessly pointed her firearm at him at work.

Judge Newlinds accepted the officer had an underlying mental health condition, was previously of good character and had shown some remorse.

However, he found the link between post-traumatic stress disorder and the crime was “tenuous”.

The officer will be eligible for parole in June 2031.

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