Instructor allegedly sexually assaulted three 11-year-old girls at Sydney school camp
Three 11-year-old girls were allegedly sexually assaulted at a Christian adventure camp in Sydney attended by hundreds of public and private school children each year.
Child exploitation squad detectives arrested Wedderburn Christian Campground instructor Samuel John Kelly on Tuesday and charged him with more than a dozen child sex offenses related to a school camp held at the 136-acre campground in the southwest of the city.
File image of Wedderburn Christian Camp. Hundreds of public and private school children attend the camp every year.
Police allege 18-year-old Kelly inappropriately touched three students at a school in Sydney’s south while checking their seatbelts during a series of events in late October.
Kelly was charged with 13 counts of intentional sexual touching of a child between the ages of 10 and 16. He did not apply for bail when he appeared in court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody to appear at Campbelltown Local Court on December 2.
Wedderburn Christian Campsite confirmed it terminated Kelly’s employment when it became aware of the allegations, which detectives began investigating this month. He declined to comment on the allegations against Kelly. It is unclear how long Kelly worked at Wedderburn.
A number of public and private schools take part in the camps at Wedderburn, which offer many adventure activities such as rock climbing, abseiling and tree climbing.
An instructor at Wedderburn Christian Campground allegedly sexually assaulted three 11-year-old girls.
The campground’s cabin-style accommodations can accommodate 144 people, according to an information packet provided to schools.
According to the information pack, all of Wedderburn’s staff working with children are “appropriately vetted and approved in accordance with the Child Protection (Prohibited Employment) Act 1998”.
