High-flying executive at one of Australia's Big Four banks accused of inviting a teenage girl to have sex with him in a hotel room
Christopher James McCann, 50, was charged on Tuesday with one count of using electronic communication to procure a child under 16 for a sexual act.
McCann, who worked at a Commonwealth Bank in Sydney, allegedly tried to find two teenage girls for sex in a Brisbane hotel, News.com.au reported.
Prosecutors will allege McCann had sought the help of an 18-year-old sex worker he met while in the city in May.
The group allegedly met in McCann's hotel before a concerned worker alerted police after becoming suspicious.
Following a two-month joint investigation, a warrant for his arrest was granted by a Queensland Court and McCann was promptly arrested at Sydney Airport.
The banking executive was then extradited to Brisbane on July 9 before his case was mentioned at Brisbane Arrest Court on Friday.
His defence attorney, Evan O'Hanlon-Rose, attempted to secure bail for McCann but this motion was delayed after a second person was accused of the same crime.
Shauntelle Went was charged with the same offence and now stands as McCann's co-accused.
Police prosecutor Jordan Theed told the court the case was 'unusual' because Mr McCann allegedly used an 18-year-old sex worker to procure a child.
Magistrate Julian Noud found it was best to handle both cases together and McCann and Went were both remanded to custody, The Daily Telegraph reported.
New South Wales' state crime command's sex crimes squad established Strike Force Coalhurst in March to investigate McCann.
It then referred the matter to Queensland Police Service's child exploitation unit Argos after it discovered McCann's attempts to procure a minor.
Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, Commander of the NSW Police Force Sex Crimes Squad, said states are working together kept children safe everywhere.
'Working closely with Queensland Police, we were able to track a suspect who believed interstate travel would allow him to evade detection. He was wrong,' she said.
'These joint efforts demonstrate that our law enforcement capabilities don't stop at state borders.
'If you fly interstate to commit crimes, know that our reach is national.'
Cameron Burke, Argos' Detective Acting Inspector, said sexual predators seeking to harm children will not be tolerated anywhere in Australia.
'Argos investigators and police across the country work collaboratively to share information, intelligence and investigative assistance,' he said.
'We are constantly online, working tirelessly to identify and apprehend offenders.'
The case has been adjourned until July 14.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
27 minutes ago
- Sky News
'Deeply loved' father shot dead in Stoke Newington named
A "deeply loved" father who was shot dead in north London has been named by police. Erdal Ozmen, 45, was found with gunshot injuries by Metropolitan Police officers who were called to Dynevor Road in Stoke Newington, a little after midnight on Tuesday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Ozmen, was "a father-of-one and was deeply loved by his family", Detective Chief Inspector Dave Whellams, who is leading the murder investigation, said. Appealing to the public, he added: "Were you in the Dynevor Road area late on Monday night into early Tuesday morning? Did you see anyone acting out of the ordinary? "Did you hear anything at all which perhaps seemed unusual - maybe people shouting, or a loud vehicle?" A post-mortem examination has not yet been carried out and Mr Ozmen's family are being supported by specialist officers. The motive for the murder remains unclear, officers said. No arrests have been made. Residents said they woke to the sounds of gunshots. Liza Dodds, 58, a youth worker who lives opposite Dynevor Road, said: "My husband woke up and said there was gunshots. The instant reaction was 'how do you know?' "We both got up and had a look. A police officer was doing CPR where the person fell. It seemed like they were going forever." Another resident said: "I heard a few gunshots and the first thing I thought was that it was fireworks, because you don't expect it to be a gun. "I was trying to sleep but then later I heard sirens from the police cars." One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "We were out when it happened so we didn't hear or see anything. "But when we came back at around 1am, the whole area was cordoned off and the police officers told us that it will be a crime scene for a couple of days."
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
British tourist ‘tried to drown daughter-in-law in Florida pool'
A British holidaymaker has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to drown his daughter-in-law in a row over his will. Mark Gibbon, 62, from Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, was on a family holiday at Solterra Resort in Davenport, near Disney World, Florida, when the pair began arguing about 'the stipulations of his will', US police said. He was charged with attempted second-degree murder and two counts of battery. Mr Gibbon allegedly pushed the 33-year-old 'under the water and held her down multiple times', according to a probable cause arrest affidavit. His nine-year-old granddaughter 'jumped into the pool' to try and save her mother but Mr Gibbon allegedly pushed her away. 'She advised that she could not breathe and believed that she was going to drown,' officials wrote. '[The victim] advised that she had to fight Mark in order to get away from him and from under the water, but he kept pushing her back under.' The victim called for neighbours and shouted for them to call the police. He is said to have only stopped when neighbours said they were calling the authorities. Mr Gibbon is a lighting technician, who runs his own firm called MRG Lighting. He has worked on music videos for Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Paloma Faith, according to his website, as well as on film and TV sets. US police said Mr Gibbon allegedly admitted to pushing his daughter-in-law underwater, but said he did not intend to drown her. The victim reportedly suffered a couple of scratches. He claimed they had been drinking before they began discussing the will. He alleged his daughter-in-law had slapped him, which sparked the fallout. The suspect was taken into custody on Aug 3 at 5.19pm. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: 'It's great that Polk County draws visitors from all across the world, but we expect vacationers to behave while they visit with us, just as we expect our lifelong residents to do the same. 'Because Mr Gibbon couldn't control his anger, he may find himself spending a lot more time in Florida than he had anticipated.' Mr Gibbon is being held at Polk County Jail without bond. His next court date is scheduled for Sept 9.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Female BMW driver struck and killed pedestrian - then told cop 'It was only a homeless person,' police say
A Florida woman who killed another woman in a hit-and-run later told police that she didn't think it mattered because the victim was 'just a homeless person,' authorities claim. Ivana Gomez, 32, was speeding through Little Havana in her BMW while intoxicated in the early morning hours of May 30 when she allegedly struck 41-year-old Kathryn Kipnis before attempting to flee the scene. Kipnis was hit with such force that her head shattered the windshield, leaving strands of hair embedded in car's passenger seatbelt. More than four months after the deadly crash, newly released bodycam footage revealed the moments following Gomez's fatal strike - and her alleged chilling disregard for human life, according to NBC 6 Miami. 'It was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' Gomez allegedly stated while being placed in the back of a cop car, according to the arrest report. It remains unclear why Gomez believed the victim was homeless - or why she thought that fact, if true, would justify or lessen the severity of what happened. Just after 1am on May 30, an officer spotted Gomez speeding through Southwest 22nd Avenue and 8th Street in Miami, driving a 2019 blue BMW. The officer, who tried to catch up with Gomez at speeds over 100mph after spotting her reckless driving, tragically witnessed her slam into Kipnis, according to the report. Kipnis's family said their loved one was walking home along Southwest 21st Avenue after a night out with friends, as reported by the outlet. 'No one ever expects their child to go before them,' Daniel Kipnis, the victim's father, told NBC Miami. Yet even after violently mowing down the 41-year-old, Gomez didn't stop, according to the arrest report. Instead, she allegedly ignored the flashing lights and blaring sirens of the officer in pursuit with her foot still on the gas. The brief chase ended when Gomez hit a red light and got boxed in behind two stopped cars, leaving her with nowhere to run. Photos of the wrecked BMW showed a gaping hole in the shattered windshield, glass strewn across the hood, and the front bumper mangled and peeling away. According to the arrest report obtained by NBC, the officer noted a strong smell of alcohol on Gomez's breath, bloodshot, watery eyes, and visible difficulty completing a field sobriety test. Investigators also noticed fresh vomit in her car, according to the report obtained by WSVN News. After allegedly stumbling through the initial test, Gomez refused to take any further sobriety tests and instead requested a lawyer. 'It was just a homeless person that I hit and it is just an accident,' Gomez allegedly stated while being placed in the back of a cop car As she was being placed in the cruiser, police wrote in their report that Gomez blatantly admitted to feeling no remorse. Authorities said she 'spontaneously' told the arresting officer it was an accident - and besides, the victim was 'just a homeless person.' Nearly five hours after the crash, Gomez's blood tests revealed a staggering BAC well above the legal limit - registering .112 and .109, officers wrote. Even six hours after the crash, around 7am, her blood alcohol level remained just above the legal limit at .088, according to the arrest report. 'The defendant's flagrant disregard for human life by striking the victim and fleeing the scene demonstrates a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others,' the document said. On May 31, Gomez made her first court appearance, where the judge confronted her about her shocking remarks dismissing the woman she killed as 'just a homeless person.' 'Your Honor, I never said that,' Gomez responded, according to WSVN. 'I did not say that whatsoever. That's false.' Prosecutors doubled down, emphasizing that Gomez remains a danger to Miami's streets, showing blatant disregard for the consequences of her actions. They requested her bond to be set at $1 million. Rachel Kipnis, the victim's cousin, also appeared via Zoom during the hearing, passionately condemning the recklessness that so abruptly and undeservedly took her loved one's life. 'I just want Your Honor to be aware of what a shining light has been taken out of this world by the incredible irresponsibility of this defendant,' she told the court, according to WSVN. Gomez was initially charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and resisting an officer without violence. However, the judge set her bond at $251,500 - well below the $1 million prosecutors requested. Records show Gomez remained in custody at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade as of Tuesday. If Gomez does manage to post bond, she won't walk away completely unscathed - she'll be locked under house arrest, stripped of her passport, and ordered to steer clear of alcohol and driving. Meanwhile, prosecutors are digging deeper, awaiting crucial data from the BMW's black box and toxicology reports - evidence that could lead to additional charges, including vehicular homicide. 'My daughter was vivacious, lovable, everyone really liked her,' Daniel Kipnis told Local 10 News after the crash.
