EX-REDBRIDGE COUNCIL WORKER ADMITS TO CHILD ABUSE OFFENCES IN AUSTRALIA
A former Redbridge Council employee, Ben Waters, aged 38, has admitted to child abuse offences in Adelaide, Australia.He was arrested on March 30 by the South Australian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team following investigations by both state and federal police.
Waters appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on July 12, where he pleaded guilty to accessing and transmitting child abuse material through a carriage service in January.
Additionally, he confessed to two counts of possessing child exploitation content, including images and videos of children under 14, in March.
Waters was employed at Redbridge Council from March 2016 to May 2019 as an executive policy officer in the office of council leader Jas Athwal.
The council claimed Waters had falsely presented his role as head of the leader's office on LinkedIn.
At the time of his charge, a council spokesperson stated, 'The council is aware of the police charges in Australia against Ben Waters.
Mr Waters was a council employee between 2016 and 2019 therefore, we have notified our local authority designated officer who will liaise with the police on behalf of the council.
We are shocked by the news of these charges and, of course, stand ready to cooperate fully with any investigation.' After returning to Australia, Waters served as an advisor to MP Nat Cook.
The Australian parliament member expressed her shock and stated she requested Waters' immediate termination from employment and understood he was expelled from the Labor Party following the charges.
Ms Cook also noted that after his guilty plea, she hoped justice would be served quickly and added, 'My thoughts have been and will continue to be with victims and their families affected by these abhorrent acts.' Waters remains on home detention bail and is scheduled to appear in the District Court in September.
