Aunt up for more child sex charges

POLICE WILL ALLEGE THE FRESH OFFENCES RELATE TO MORE ABUSE AGAINST THE WOMAN’S NIECES WHICH SHE THEN DOCUMENTED AND ALLEGEDLY SENT ON TO LANE

A WOMAN who allegedly abused her nieces, documented it on camera and sent the material to the alleged leader of a child sex ring has been charged with more offences.

The 38-year-old Condon woman, who cannot be named to protect the victims, was first arrested and charged in July for her alleged involvement in the ring.

Police will allege she was one of two offsiders to the alleged leader, Stephen Ross Lane, 64, who was allegedly running the ring out of his Kelso house for a number of years.

A 41-year-old North Ward woman has also been charged over alleged offending against her own daughter.

It will be alleged the Condon woman created child exploitation material using her nieces, aged between three and 15 years old, and sent the material to Lane for cash and benefits.

The woman was also charged with five counts of extortion, which police will allege relates to extorting people for money, amounting to $50,000 worth of transactions.

She faced court in July over the initial charges, and was granted bail at court after her lawyer claimed she was manipulated into allegedly committing the acts.

On Wednesday night, the woman was arrested and charged with 10 new offences, including eight counts of making child exploitation material and one count each of distributing child exploitation material and possessing child exploitation material.

Police will allege the fresh offences relate to more abuse against the woman’s nieces, which she then documented and allegedly sent on to Lane.

She was arrested by officers from the Townsville Child Protection and Investigation Unit late Wednesday night.

The woman was granted police bail on tight restrictions.

Lane has also been recently charged with the same nine offences, plus an additional three commonwealth offences for allegedly trying to groom an adult living overseas to send him child abuse material.

Police busted the alleged ring after a three-month police operation, labelled Operation Tango Rosetta, back in July.

Police believe there is a large networking cohort based on family associations, with up to 10 or 15 more people possibly involved. Both Lane and the woman will face court again on October 8.