An infamous cult leader allegedly sent letters to a six-year-old through his wife, with the pair now charged with grooming the young girl for more than a decade.
William Kamm, 73, a convicted pedophile also known as Little Pebble, and his wife Sandra Susan Mathison, 58, were arrested on Monday following an investigation spanning six months.
Kamm is the founder of the notorious religious doomsday cult Order of Saint Charbel, which is based out of a compound at Bangalee, near Nowra, on the NSW south coast.
Strike Force Gandell was established in September last year to investigate reports a woman had been allegedly groomed as a child by the founder of a religious group and his wife.
Police will allege in court the pair groomed a woman who is known to them from the age of six for more than a decade.
NSW sex crimes squad commander Jayne Doherty on Monday told media the six-year-old was told she had been “selected to procreate” with Kamm to “build a new sect”.
Superintendent Doherty said police alleged Kamm had been writing the girl letters while in jail and sent her gifts he had made behind bars.
Police allege the gifts and letters were passed from Kamm to the girl via his wife.
“These are horrendous allegations,” Superintendent Doherty told media on Monday.
“These are 13 of the formidable years for this young girl and she should be commended to be so brave to come forward now.”
The arrest came days after specialist police swooped on the group’s headquarters on Thursday as well as a unit in Sydney’s CBD.
Police searched a home and two sheds on the Bangalee property and seized a number of items relevant to the investigation.
The pair was arrested on Monday and Kamm was charged with grooming a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, aggravated – incite person do sexual act with etc them, and two counts of fail to comply with extended/interim supervision order.
Ms Mathison was charged with grooming a child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity and grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity.
Both were refused bail to appear in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.
Neither of them appeared as defence lawyer Daniel Kradolfer told the court they would be applying to be released from custody on Thursday.
Kamm was granted bail by the NSW Supreme Court in June after breaching his supervision orders for a second time.
He spent almost a decade behind bars after sexually assaulting two teenage girls between 1993-95.
His extended supervision order is due to expire in April 2025.