Taskforce Tydeus: Man pleads guilty to indecent acts at ACT school
A man has pleaded guilty to two charges of acts of indecency after he indecently exposed himself to an eight year old at a Canberra school in August.
The man, Russell Dennis Burgess, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday facing two separate charges. He pleaded guilty to both counts and was remanded in custody.
He is expected to reappear in court for a committal hearing in two weeks, and is one of two men ACT Policing have arrested as part of its Taskforce Tydeus investigation into a string of 18 similar incidents at Canberra schools this year. Burgess has not been accused of any of the other incidents.
Special Magistrate Kenneth Cush denied a bail application due to his concerns Burgess could reoffend if released.
The 41-year-old man was arrested during a police raid on a house in Belconnen on Monday after he allegedly approached two young students near the fence of a school in Macquarie on August 17.
Speaking to the media earlier outside court, Detective Acting Superintendent Matthew Reynolds said the students told their teachers after the incident. CCTV footage as well as a tip-off to Crimestoppers by a member of the public had proven integral to the arrest, the detective said.
"Clearly this is a very distressing incident to happen to a very young child. We take these matters very seriously," Detective Superintendent Reynolds said.
Last month, police launched Taskforce Tydeus to dedicate more resources to child approaches, and last week it made its first arrest.
A Gordon man was charged with flashing a 12-year-old girl as she was walking to school in Tuggeranong.
On Tuesday, Detective Acting Superintendent Reynolds said the latest arrest was not known to be linked to any other cases.
"We have no information that these two males were working together, however as I said we will continue to investigate."
In recent months, police have ramped up patrols around schools as they work with the ACT education directorate. That police presence will reduce over the school holiday break.
Detective Acting Superintendent Reynolds urged the community to talk to their children about "stranger danger" and report anything suspicious immediately.
"We are concerned that there might be further people," he said, adding the faster police received information the better.
To any potential offenders still at large, he had another message: "We will locate you and we will arrest you."
Anyone with information should contact police on 131 444 or email Op-Tydeus@afp.gov.au.
Further information and tips on talking to children about stranger danger can be found on the ACT Policing website or at or constablekenny.org.au
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