Teen arrested over copycat email threat at north Sydney school
A teenage boy has been arrested over an alleged copycat threat hoax which saw a north Sydney school evacuated last week.
The emailed threat was received by North Sydney Boys High School on October 29, and was inconsistent with other communications 30 schools across the state had received earlier in the week, a statement from police said.
North Sydney Boys High School.Credit:James Brickwood
Following extensive inquiries, Cybercrime Squad detectives executed a search warrant at a home in Sydney's south at 7am on Wednesday.
A computer and mobile phone were seized and will undergo further examination.
A teenage boy was arrested and taken to Kogarah Police Station, where charges relating to the incident at north Sydney are expected to be laid.
Earlier in the week, HSC exams were disrupted at those schools after they received an anonymous email which suggested a device had been placed at the school.
The emails are thought to have originated in Eastern Europe and there is no suggestion the teenager was involved in those incidents. No devices were located at any of the schools.
Police were contacted and North Sydney Boys enacted its emergency response plans, which included an evacuation.
A search of the school was performed and no items of interest were located.
Investigations into the circumstances and origins of the other email threats continue.
More to come
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Laura is a crime reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.