Former lead investigator of William Tyrrell case is charged with misconduct after being accused of using a mobile phone to record someone without a warrant
- Det Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin, 57, has been charged with secretly recording
- Insp Jubelin was leading the investigation into William Tyrrell's disappearance
- Veteran detective was involved some of Australia's high-profile investigations
- He had been on desk duty after bullying and harassment allegations surfaced
A former lead investigator has been charged with misconduct while working on the disappearance of William Tyrrell.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin, 57, was taken off the case in January after he was accused of secretly recording a suspect without permission or a warrant.
He was also accused of bullying staff - but he has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Jubelin was on Friday charged with four offences under the Surveillance Devices Act.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin (pictured), 57, has long been the poster boy for the New South Wales homicide squad
Missing: William Tyrrell, three, had been in the care of his foster parents when he disappeared from their home in Kendall, New South Wales, in September 2014
A New South Wales police spokesman said: 'Following a number of complaints, the Professional Standards Command commenced an investigation in 2018 overseen by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, into the conduct of the officer during the course of his operational duties.
'Those inquiries disclosed a number of recordings allegedly made at locations in Parramatta and Kendall in New South Wales.'
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Jubelin, who resigned from the force last month, was handed a Court Attendance Notice on Friday and is due to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court on 30 July.
Jubelin's resignation left the families of victims whose cases he worked on devastated.
Insp Jubelin had investigated the disappearance of Mathew Leveson (pictured) who was last seen leaving a Sydney nightclub on 23 September 2007
Insp Jubelin also investigated the case of Michelle Leng (pictured) who was assaulted and murdered by her uncle, Derek Barrett, in western Sydney in 2016
Insp Jubelin had investigated the disappearance of Mathew Leveson who was last seen leaving a Sydney nightclub on 23 September 2007.
His car was found but his body was not. In August 2008, Leveson's boyfriend, Michael Atkins, was acquitted of manslaughter.
Mr Leveson's father Mark said it was 'sad' that Insp Jubelin had resigned.
'What a massively sad day for the people of NSW and particularly for the families of victims of crimes that Gary has not yet finalised,' he told The Australian.
'The NSW police needs Gary far more than he needs them. It's a pity they might realise this a little too late.'
William Tyrrell's biological grandmother said the recent inquest into the boy's disappearance cleared the family's name after years of suspicion. William (pictured) vanished without a trace from the front garden of his foster carer's home
Insp Jubelin was at the centre of many high profile investigations, including the horrific killing of university graduate Michelle Leng and the Bowraville murders.
But after 34 years he has decided to quit while the Tyrrell case remains unsolved.
Three-year-old William had been in the care of his foster parents when he disappeared from their home in Kendall, New South Wales, in September 2014.
Insp Jubelin, who had been leading the search for the toddler, was accused of using a mobile phone to illegally record without a warrant during the investigation.
He strongly denied the allegations and remained on desk duty as Professional Standards investigated.
The reason behind Insp Jubelin's resignation is not known, but sources claim he wanted to leave the police force with his head held high.
Victims' families spoke highly of the highly-respected officer, calling him compassionate and dedicated.
However, his take-no-prisoners approach has seen him labelled as polarising.
Insp Jubelin has been in the force since 1985, and previously told NT news that solving homicides was his passion.
'I treat the victims of crime as if they are members of my own family… I take it personally and I always give 100 per cent. I can't cop mediocrity from anyone.
'These are the things I say to the young detectives who I work with and train. I want them to understand how hard you have to work and I want them to challenge me. I don't mind mistakes through effort but I don't like lazy police.'
Insp Jubelin's battle for justice saw him immortalised on screen during the fifth season of Underbelly, Underbelly Badness in 2012.
The show focused on Australian murderer and drug-dealer Anthony Perish, who had been captured by Insp Jubelin and his team after 10 years of investigation.
Since William's disappearance five years ago, wild theories and rumours about how he vanished quickly emerged, including allegations that blamed his own birth family
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