Theresa Cook, one of the women arrested for abuse
Seven people were arrested after sexually abusing three small boys for three years. The group of men and women raped the boys and filmed it, beat the children, and bled them and forced them to drink their own blood according to the reports:
Seven members of a circus west of Sydney will face court after being charged with more than 125 offences relating to allegations of horrific historical child sexual and physical abuse.
It’s understood police will allege several members of the circus performed “blood rituals” and committed other abuses against three young boys aged under eight between 2014 and 2016.
The boys, police will allege, were bled and forced to drink their own blood.
Four women, two men and a teenage girl were arrested at homes in Katoomba, Canterbury and Wentworthville in raids beginning at 7am yesterday. They were charged with 127 offences in total.
A 58-year-old woman was charged with 43 offences, including aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual intercourse with a child and aggravated kidnapping. She was refused bail to appear at Penrith Local Court today. An apprehended violence order has also been taken out against her by an individual whose name has been suppressed.
The circus, which worked with children with and without disabilities, was founded in 2009.
Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad established Strike Force Baillieu in July 2017 to investigate reports of sexual and physical abuse of three boys. Strike Force Baillieu’s investigation is continuing.
Outside Central Local Court yesterday, where one of the accused’s matters was heard, lawyer Bryan Wrench said the four older people arrested would be pleading not guilty.
“They are pleading not guilty to all the sequences and they deny these charges,” he said.
“They have always been ready to meet the police and we hope to get them bail.”
A 17-year-old girl was charged with eight counts of aggravated sexual assault in company, aggravated kidnapping and producing child abuse material.
An 18-year-old man was charged with 42 offences, including kidnapping, sexual intercourse with a child under 10, and common assault.
A 20-year-old woman was charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping take person in company and commit serious indictable offence and common assault.
All three were refused bail and will appear at a children’s court today.
A 26-year-old woman was charged with 13 offences, including aggravated sex assault in company and detain for advantage. She will appear at Penrith Local Court today.
A 52-year-old man was charged with three counts of aggravated sexual assault in company (child under 10), male child abuse material, and use a child under 14 to make child abuse material. He will also appear at Penrith Local Court today.
A 29-year woman was charged with five counts of aggravated sexual assault in company deprive liberty, and three counts of common assault. She was refused bail and will appear at Penrith Local Court.
In a statement, NSW Police said: “Police will allege in court the group participated in ongoing sexual and physical abuse of three boys, who were known to them, between 2014 and 2016 in the Blue Mountains.” (source, source, source)