A 46-year-old man has been arrested and charged by police after allegedly attempting to meet a young teenage girl for sex.

The man was arrested on Friday, October 4 following an investigation by Hawke’s Bay Police and the OCEANZ (Online Child Exploitation Across NZ) unit.

He faces three charges of indecent communication with a young person under 16, and one charge of travelling to meet a young person for sex.

Detective Sergeant Alex MacDonald said OCEANZ had received information that the man was allegedly attempting to contact young girls for the purpose of sexual abuse.

”This kind of offending in our communities is incredibly alarming and serves as an excellent reminder of the need to be vigilant around online safety for children and young people.

”The school holidays would be a great time to sit down with your kids and have a conversation about how to stay safe online. You can find information on the police website to help with those conversations.”

The 46-year-old man is scheduled to appear in Hastings District Court today.

Detective Senior Sergeant John McCarthy, from Hawke’s Bay Police’s Child Protection Team, said the investigation was ongoing and he could not rule out identifying further victims.

”We will continue to work with OCEANZ to ensure that offenders targeting young people in our community in this way are held to account for their actions.”

He urged anyone with concerns about potential criminal behaviour targeting children or young people to get in touch with police so they can investigate.

• Man allegedly pretended to be 15yo so he could groom young people online
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Sexual Harm

Where to get help:

If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

If you’ve ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:• Call 0800 044 334• Text 4334• Email [email protected]• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz

Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.

If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it’s not your fault.