Australian courts see wave of child sexual abuse prosecutions

A series of court proceedings across New South Wales and Western Australia highlight an increase in child sexual abuse prosecutions. In Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast, 26‑year‑old Royce Jenkinson was found guilty of five offences involving a teenage girl and will be sentenced later. In Tamworth, former media sales rep Dylan Smith was hit with 14 additional child‑exploitation charges, bringing the total to 21, and remains in custody pending a plea hearing. In Armidale, a man whose name is suppressed faced three counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10 and two counts of aggravated intercourse; defence counsel emphasized inconsistencies in the complainant’s recollection as a basis for reasonable doubt while jurors deliberated. Meanwhile in Perth, Malaysian paediatrician Chia Liang Saw was charged with 33 child‑sex‑related offences, including producing and possessing exploitation material; his medical registration has been suspended and he remains in custody awaiting a bail application.