A 77-year-old man has been arrested in New South Wales (NSW) in connection with multiple historic sexual assault cases. The arrest followed the application of advanced DNA analysis, a technique similar to that used to identify the "Golden State Killer" in the United States.
Alleged Incidents
March 1991 Incident
The first alleged assault occurred on the morning of Saturday, March 16, 1991. An 11-year-old girl was approached by an unknown man on Rayben Street in Glendenning, Western Sydney. The man allegedly offered her a lift, drove her around, sexually assaulted her in his car, and subsequently dropped her at Mount Druitt Railway Station.
February 1996 Incident
On Saturday, February 17, 1996, a 16-year-old girl accepted a lift from an unknown man in Kanahooka, Southern Wollongong, around 1:00 AM. After driving for some time, he allegedly stopped the vehicle, sexually assaulted her, and then dropped her in Warrawong.
December 2002 Incident
In the early hours of Sunday, December 22, 2002, a 26-year-old woman accepted a lift from an unknown man near the Commercial Hotel in Dubbo. He allegedly drove her to Devil's Hole Reserve, where he stopped the vehicle and sexually assaulted her, before dropping her a short distance away on Cobbora Road.
Investigation and Forensic Genealogy
All three incidents were reported to police, and DNA samples were obtained in each case; however, the matters remained unsolved for years.
In 2022, the State Crime Command's Sex Crimes Squad began reviewing several historic sexual assault cases to assess their suitability for emerging forensic technologies. New DNA analysis subsequently confirmed that the three incidents were linked by the same male DNA profile.
The renewed investigation utilized forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG). FIGG is an investigative tool that combines advanced DNA analysis with traditional genealogy to help identify suspects through commercial DNA databases. Unlike standard forensic DNA profiling, which examines 21 markers, FIGG analyzes hundreds of thousands of genetic markers, enabling investigators to identify extended familial relationships.
This technique gained widespread public recognition after its use in identifying Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the "Golden State Killer," in California. In this NSW case, the unknown male DNA profile was uploaded to public genealogy databases—GEDmatch PRO and FamilyTreeDNA—which permit law enforcement access to consenting profiles for serious crimes. This process reportedly allowed detectives to identify a close relative of the suspect.
Arrest and Charges
On [a recent date], strike force detectives executed a search warrant in South Kempsey, on the NSW Mid North Coast, at approximately 12:45 PM. A 77-year-old man was arrested at the location.
He has been charged with a string of offenses, including five counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The man was refused bail and appeared in court today [the day after arrest].