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The New Zealander was in Canberra to referee in the southern hemisphere’s largest youth football tournament.
A New Zealand police officer involved with an Australian football tournament has been charged with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl in Canberra.
The 66-year-old man was in Canberra for the Kanga Cup, the southern hemisphere’s largest youth football tournament which was being held this week.
The Canberra Times has reported that the man is a New Zealand resident and a police officer.
When asked, a NZ Police spokesperson would not confirm whether the man was a serving police officer.
“We have no comment to make at this time, this is a matter for ACT Police,” the spokesperson said.
The man appeared in the Australian Capital Territories Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with one count of indecency against a young person under special care.
ACT police in Canberra allege the man sexually assaulted a 16-year-old referee.
In a statement police alleged several people witnessed an incident that occurred on Saturday, before the tournament started. They said it happened during “team building activities”.
The man was arrested at the place where he was staying on Tuesday night.
The ABC reported the man appeared briefly in court, wearing a grey jacket bearing the Kanga Cup 2023 logo.
The court did not hear further details about the alleged incident.
A legal aid duty lawyer applied for bail, which was not opposed by the prosecution.
Magistrate Robert Cook said the man must comply with eight bail conditions, until the matter returns to court on July 31, when he is expected to enter a plea, the ABC reported.
Police said their inquiries were continuing.
In a statement, Football Australia said it was providing support to those affected.
“Football Australia has mechanisms in place to provide thorough support to our members, as has been the case over the course of this week,” it said.
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