NSW Police charge former swim coach over historical sexual abuse of young athletes

A former swimming coach will appear in court today charged over the alleged sexual abuse of teenage girls he was training at the Kogarah War Memorial Pool at Carss Park in Sydney’s southin Sydney’s south more than 40 years ago.

In January 2021, officers from Kings Cross Police Area Command received information about multiple sexual and indecent assaults of a teenage girl at a swim school at Carss Park in the 1970s and 1980s.

Kings Cross detectives subsequently established Strike Force Coco to investigate the matter.

During the course of the investigation further information was received about additional sexual abuse incidents of another teenage girl at the same swim school, also in the 1970s.

Following extensive inquiries, strike force detectives arrested a 76-year-old man at a home at Condell Park about 7.10am today (Wednesday 22nd June 2022).

He was taken to Bankstown Police Station, where he was charged with six counts of carnal knowledge teacher of girl aged 10-17 years and three counts of assault female and commit act of indecency - between 14 and 16.

Police will allege in court that the man indecently and sexually assaulted two girls – when they were aged 15-16 – on a number of occasions in the mid-1970s while they were under his authority as a swimming coach.

The man has been refused bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court later today.

Investigations under Strike Force Coco are ongoing.

The Swimming Coach has been named by some media including Channel 9.

Editor's update: As of 28th August 2024, former elite Australian swimming coach Richard 'Dick' Caine was convicted on charges of dozens of sexual assaults on athletes as young as 10 in the 1970s and 1980s.

Image: General Swimming via shutterstock