Updated ,first published
Warning: Graphic content
A Killara man allegedly raped a 14-year-old boy at a popular north shore reserve after the pair agreed to meet after making contact online.
Alan James Caradus, now aged 70, was arrested on Thursday after heavily armed tactical police raided his Killara home, seizing several electronic devices for forensic examination.
The alleged sexual assault occurred after Caradus, then 68, met the 14-year-old at Echo Point Park by the Roseville Bridge in 2023, allegedly raping the boy and inciting the child to perform a sex act on him.
Detectives do not believe Caradus and boy knew each other before their online communication.
Investigations began in December 2025, about two years after the alleged assault, leading to the arrest of the Killara man on Thursday.
Caradus, wearing a T-shirt and track pants, was led out of his home by detectives, while general duties officers carried devices seized in the raid from the property in brown evidence bags.
He was taken to Hornsby Police Station, where he was charged with having sex with a child aged between 14 and 16, sexually touching a child aged between 10 and 16, and inciting a child aged between 10 and 16 to perform a sexual act to them.
Caradus appeared in Hornsby Local Court on Thursday, where his application for bail was refused by Justice Rodney Brender. He will remain behind bars until at least November 4, when he will next appear in court.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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CLARIFICATION
An earlier version of this story said detectives were treating the attack as random.
Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.From our partners
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