A man has been charged following an investigation into the alleged sexual abuse of young children in the Lake Macquarie area.
Detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District established Strike Force Friar in March to investigate multiple reports of alleged child sexual abuse between 1993 and 2020.
Investigators on Monday arrested a 64-year-old man, with the assistance of the State Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, at Swansea.
The Marks Point man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with 26 alleged offences.
These included 13 counts of indecent assault of an alleged victim aged under 10 years old; three counts each of having sexual intercourse with a person aged under 10 years old and aggravated indecent assault of a victim aged under 16 years old; as well as two counts each of committing an act of indecency with a person aged under 16 years old and carrying out a sexual act with another without consent.
He was also charged with one count each of indecently assaulting a person aged under 16 years old, committing an act of indecency with a person aged under 10 years old and sexually touching another person without consent.
Police will allege in court that the man sexually abused seven children - who were known to him - in the Lake Macquarie and Narrabri areas between 1993 and 2020.
He was refused bail at Belmont Local Court on Monday, where the matter was adjourned to February 16.
