BREAKINGRedfern, New South Wales

Sex Crimes Squad detectives arrest man over alleged historical child sexual assault - Redfern

NSW Police·8 October 2026, 10:02 am

The release

Sex Crimes Squad detectives have arrested a man following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault of a child more than 40 years ago in Sydney’s south.

Strike Force Millersburg was established in December 2025 to investigate alleged historical sexual assaults on a then 15-year-old girl in Redfern in June 1986.

Following extensive inquiries, about 7am today (Thursday 8 October 2026) strike force detectives arrested a 79-year-old man in Redfern.

He was taken to Newtown Police Station where inquiries are continuing.

— NSW Police

This report is from NSW Police. Read their full release: police.nsw.gov.au/news/news_article?sq_content_src=%2BdXJs…

Crime in the Sydney council area

Sydney is a council area in New South Wales with about 241,797 residents. It has a Crime Score 72 out of 100 (high), 55th of 362 councils nationally.

The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (82nd percentile), robbery (95th percentile), sexual offences (79th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 76.

Violent: 2,409 per 100k
Property: 6,505 per 100k
Break-ins: 424 per 100k
Theft: 3,981 per 100k

See the full Sydney crime profile

Recorded violent offences per 100,000 residents in Sydney, 2016-17 to 2025-26 — little changed over the period. Source: recorded crime published for New South Wales.

Sex Crimes Squad detectives arrest man over alleged historical child sexual assault - Redfern

The release

Crime in the Sydney council area

More from New South Wales and around Australia