POLICE OFFICER JAILED FOR GROOMING AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITING 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Matthew Robert Townsend, a 29-year-old former police officer, has been sentenced to a minimum of three years in prison for grooming and coercing a 15-year-old girl into sex.He admitted to pursuing the girl after taking a statement from her when she was assaulted at school.
Townsend contacted her via social media, finding her account through tagged photos, and messaged her with comments like "You're cute, would you like to meet up?" before explaining he was the officer she spoke with at school.
He instructed her to keep their contact secret, warning that both would get into trouble if she revealed their communication.
Townsend used increasingly sexual language in his messages and encouraged her to engage in sex with him.
He kept her phone number in his police notebook and later drove her to a car park, where he had sex with her after buying her Vodka Cruisers.
Fearing that housemates would contact the police, Townsend did not take her to his home but later bought her a mango energy drink and vapes, and had sex with her again.
Throughout, his contact with her was orchestrated with careful planning, exploiting her vulnerability due to her age and personal circumstances.
He was working at Campbelltown Police Command when he met the girl, and asked her to keep their relationship secret, claiming both would get in trouble otherwise.
Townsend used the trust placed in him as a police officer to plan and orchestrate his offending.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged between 14 and 16.
Judge Julia Baly highlighted the significant age gap and Townsend's position as a police officer, noting the 'clear power imbalance' between them.
She said Townsend's abuse was 'gross and egregious,' involving a calculated betrayal of trust.
The judge emphasized that Townsend was on duty investigating a potential offence involving the girl when he began grooming her for his sexual gratification.
He has been in custody since October 2022 and will be eligible for parole on September 30, 2025.
The case underscores the serious abuse of authority and trust, with Townsend's actions described as a severe breach of conduct that caused significant harm to a vulnerable minor.
