NSW Police released footage of the arrest at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney in August 2024. Photo: Stillshot of NSW Police video footage.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to allegations of grooming.
Griffith man Michael Joseph Foggiato will on Friday (12 September) be sentenced for using a carriage service (electronic communication) to groom a person under the age of 16 for sex.
The 49-year-old was arrested for the offence in August 2024. He pleaded guilty in the Local Court and will now be sentenced at Griffith District Court, a higher court level that deals with serious offences.
Mr Foggiato was initially denied bail at the time of his arrest but was later released on bail on 19 December.
Under his strict bail conditions, he is to live in Griffith and report to police every Monday. He is not allowed within 100 metres of a school or childcare centre and his use of the internet is restricted to activities such as online job searches.
He is to present all electronic devices to police on request and not to travel interstate without their prior permission.
The case has been delayed several times, but at a brief court hearing on Monday (8 September), the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr Foggiato’s lawyer agreed on a sentencing hearing date of Friday (12 September).
Mr Foggiato’s apprehension was the result of a NSW Police operation named Strike Force Trawler, an ongoing investigation by the Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.
In June 2024, detectives launched an investigation into an online user allegedly attempting to contact children for sexual activity.
During the investigation, Mr Foggiato allegedly sent inappropriate photos and videos to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
According to court documents, the alleged offences occurred between 26 June and 9 August, 2024.
Strike Force detectives arrested Mr Foggiato at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Sydney Harbour at 7:15 am on 9 August, 2024.
