After seven years inside Strike Force Trawler,the specialised unit within the Child Abuse Squad that uses online stings to catch would-be child abusers,Senior Detective Alfaro has seen a lot.
Detective Senior Constable Antonio Alfaro from the NSW Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.Rhett Wyman
He and the unit’s 21 other investigators spend their days online,impersonating children or paedophiles who share child abuse material.
Once enough evidence for a police brief has been gathered,a meet-up is arranged and the would-be child abuser is arrested.
It’s harrowing work,but worthwhile,he says from Trawler’s Parramatta headquarters - an incongruously bright and chatty workplace at first blush,but where signs urge employees to look after their mental health - “Have you talked to a colleague about what you did today?” - and a whiteboard featuring complex aliases,timelines,passwords and cover stories looms large.
“I think there’s nothing greater than protecting children. It’s very rewarding,” he said. “There’s nothing greater than putting the handcuffs on at the end of the day. It’s about stopping the offending before it happens.”
“I think there’s nothing greater than protecting children. It’s very rewarding.”
Detective Senior Constable Antonio Alfaro
The detectives have ways to deal with the horrors that confront them daily - strong family relationships,compartmentalising,exercise and a supportive workplace - but some things stick,they say.
“It is the volume. Something about the combination of sound and image,” agreed Detective Senior Constable Susanne Dahal,one of the 10 new investigators who joined the team in September this year.
Strike Force Trawler began in 2005,and now arrests more than one man a week - Trawler has only ever arrested three women,all of whom were acting with or on behalf of a male partner. A record number of charges have been laid this year,an increase that investigators ascribe to lockdowns and people spending more time online.
Nine people were charged in Trawler’s first year,and the team is poised to hit 60 by the end of this year.
Meanwhile,the strike force has an astounding conviction rate.
“We’ve never lost in court,” said Senior Detective Alfaro.
The idea of a man lurking in the bushes or driving around playgrounds in a white van is outdated,said manager of the Child Exploitation Internet Unit,Detective Chief Inspector Chris Goddard.
“There is no real quintessential online sex offender. We arrest people from all walks of life. We arrest people who are businessmen,tradies,professionals,car salesman,lawyers,accountants,people who are unemployed and on Centrelink benefits. There is no real,discernible characteristics of what they look like,” he said.
Trawler detectives have adapted as social media has evolved,and they aim to be on whatever platform children - and predators - use.
Detective Chief Inspector Goddard issued this warning:“Do not be surprised if one day the person you think you’re talking to is not a 13-year-old girl but a very experienced detective who comes knocking on your door.”