Former police officer ‘blackmailed victims into sex’
A former Sydney police officer has faced court accused of using his position to blackmail women into sex.
Vaughan Hildebrand, who was stationed at City Central Police, has pleaded guilty to 44 offences against 15 victims including female police officers and schoolgirls. The youngest was 16.
It’s alleged he used police computers at the police station to gain access to sensitive and personal information to target his victims.
The allegations have been called a “vast episode of serious criminality” with all offences taking place between 2008 and 2017.
Hildebrand joined the police in 2011.
Four of his victims he blackmailed into having sex, threatening to release photos if they didn’t fulfil his demands, the court heard.
Prosecutor John Bower told the court the former cop was motivated by a “sexual desire from a psychiatric disorder”.
“This is a case of serial offences on multiple victims,” Mr Bower said.
The judge asked the prosecutor why it took so long to bring Hildebrand to justice with the first offences reported in 2008.
The Crown replied Hildebrand went to great lengths to conceal his identity.
He’s back in court on Tuesday.
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