A MOSS Vale man has been charged over allegedly grooming a 13-year-old girl for sex through an Internet chat site.
Sex Crimes Squad detectives arrested the 29-year-old at a Darran Road address at 11.30am before charging him at Bowral Police Station.
The alleged sexual predator was granted conditional bail and will face Moss Vale Local Court on October 19 charged with procuring and grooming a person under 16 using a carriage service (computer).
Investigators from the State Crime Command's Child Exploitation and Internet Unit posed as a 13-year-old girl and allegedly communicated with the man over an Internet chat site between May and July this year.
Detectives seized a computer from the premises and police said the man was sexually explicit during several online communications with officers who posed as a 13-year-old girl. The man is also alleged to have made arrangements to meet for sex with the assumed 13-year-old girl.
Bowral Police said they were not involved in the investigation.
Strike Force CEIU, comprising detectives from the Child Exploitation Internet Unit, was established to investigate alleged online sexual exploitation of children.
"The Internet can be a great tool for children, however social networking sites can be potentially dangerous for children if they are left unsupervised," Sex Crimes squad commander, Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec said.
"Regular online operations are conducted by detectives at the Child Exploitation and Internet Unit in an effort to detect online sexual predators.
"The role of parents however, is crucial with assisting in the prevention of child Internet exploitation.
"We strongly encourage all parents to sit down with their children and to discuss the dangers of internet use in order to arm children with the knowledge and the skills needed to stay safe."