Renowned swimming coach Dick Caine has been accused of allegedly sexually abusing young teenage athletes while training.
The 76-year-old man was arrested at a house in Condell Park, south-west Sydney, at around 7am today, and taken to Bankstown Police Station, where he was arrested. He was charged with nine counts of felony criminal mischief.
The charges relate to the alleged abuse of two teenage students at a swimming school in Carss Park, south of Sydney, in the 1970s.
Dick Caine, Olympic swimming coach. (Sydney Morning Herald)
The first report was made by a woman last January who said she was a target while a student at a swimming school in the mid-1970s.
Coco’s Strike Force was established by Kings Cross agents and the investigation uncovered more allegations of another abused teenager at the same swimming school.
Acting Superintendent Chris Nicholson of NSW Police said police will allege the girls were 16 and 17 at the time of the alleged crimes.
Caine faces nine charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of two teenagers during the 1970s. (Fairfax Archive)
He said the alleged assaults took place “at various locations in and around southern Sydney”.
“I want to stress that these allegations are very serious, but the investigation is ongoing,” Nicholson added.
Caine has been charged with nine felony counts: six counts of carnal acquaintance by a teacher of a 10- to 17-year-old girl and three counts of assault on modesty.
Caine was arrested at a Condell Park home this morning. (NSW Police)
He has been denied bail and will face court today.
Nicholson also spoke of the “courage and bravery” of the alleged victims, and had a message for other survivors.
“I would like to tell all sexual abuse survivors living in our community that NSW police want to hear your story,” he said.
He will appear in court today. (NSW Police)
“What I have to show today is that whether the NSW police force receives a report of sexual violence that took place yesterday, or last week, or last year or 50 years ago, we will investigate all matters that they draw our attention to our full potential and we will wrap our full support around the victim-survivors as they tell their story. “