RSS Feed
March 20th, 2024 
Awake Goy 
A senior Victoria Police officer who allegedly sought out horrific online videos depicting drugged and unconscious girls being sexually abused has fronted court.
A senior police officer allegedly sought out horrific online videos depicting drugged and unconscious girls being raped.
Sergeant John Sherriff faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with 30 child abuse material (CAM) offences.
The court heard the allegations against Sherriff – a suspended member of Victoria Police – relate to multiple child victims, including one who was captured on an explicit video on his phone.
The video depicted the upskirting of the child as she was jumping up and down directly above the camera.
The court heard on multiple occasions the sergeant searched videos of young drugged or unconscious girls being raped by adult men.
Prosecutor Olivia Sparrow described the disturbing acts done to the girls, who remained motionless in each video.
The sergeant, who worked in Transit and Public Safety Command, is charged with offences including possessing, producing and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.
The offending allegedly occurred in Irymple and Caroline Springs in 2021 and 2022.
Sherriff was previously facing 90 charges but 60 charges were withdrawn by the prosecution on Monday, including counts of rape and sexual assault.
The court heard some CAM production charges were withdrawn as further police investigation established illicit material allegedly on the sergeant’s phone was not made by him but through the encrypted messaging app Viber.
Sherriff was charged in August 2023 while living in Queensland.
A subsequent search on his second phone resulted in further charges.
The sergeant was extradited to Melbourne from Townsville to face court and later bailed to live in Tasmania.
Sherriff’s lawyer Christopher Wareham on Monday successfully fought for the police officer’s bail conditions to be relaxed to reenable his access to the internet for restricted activities.
Mr Wareham told the court prohibiting the officer’s use of any device with internet capabilities was “over and above what is needed for the protection of the community” and bordered on punishment.
Ms Sparrow said “the risk of further offending in relation to CAM offending is still very real and cannot be emolliated to a reasonable level” with relaxed bail conditions.
Magistrate Andrew McKenna granted Sherriff access to a mobile phone and computer for specified internet usage related to health appointments and consulting on his criminal case.
He will be required to surrender his devices to Victoria Police or Tasmania Police upon request.
The officer will return to court on April 24.
Posted in 
Tags: 
