An ex-police officer had sex with an underage boy at his parents' home, tried to meet with another purported teen and asked for child-abuse material in encrypted chats.
Mark Ward, 49, is on remand awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a string of child-abuse charges over conduct spanning five years.
During this time, he sought out sex with teenagers or searched for explicit images and videos of underage victims.
After working as a senior constable with NSW Police, the 49-year-old became a flight attendant and restaurant employee.
In 2017, he began talking with a 13-year-old boy on Grindr, sending him photographs of himself in his police uniform, according to an agreed court statement.
A year later, Ward arranged to meet the teen at the boy's western Sydney home while his mother was out.
They had sex in the boy's bedroom and kissed at the front door before the youth urged Ward to leave before his mother returned.
In May 2023, an undercover police officer contacted the 49-year-old on Grindr pretending to be a 13-year-old male.
After asking the purported teen for nude pictures, Ward sent six explicit images of himself, including one where he was wearing a G-string and another showing jewellery on his genitalia.
During his arrest in June 2023, police seized a number of electronic items from Ward's St Andrews home.
On an iPhone, officers discovered chats on the encrypted Telegram platform between Ward and a person saved as “No Lim Perv” who claimed he was 16 years old.
As well as asking to meet the contact for sex, the former police officer said he was interested in sexual activity with boys as young as 12.
“Got any mates or brothers that are into f***ing as well?" he asked.
While the pair did not physically meet, Ward asked for and was sent explicit child-abuse material, the statement said.
“I have everything from newborn to 16 lol," the contact wrote.
Nine files including anime pictures of pre-pubescent boys and videos of real victims were found on his phone.
Ward is facing two counts of sexual intercourse and one count of sexual touching involving the 13-year-old boy.
He also faces charges of using a carriage service to send indecent images to someone under 16 years old, soliciting child-abuse material and possessing child-abuse material.
He will next appear at Campbelltown District Court for a brief mention on July 25.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
