[imagesource: Suhaib Salem]

Dean Carelse has been arrested in Queensland, Australia, on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The 40-year-old is a name familiar to some South African rugby fans, as he is known as one of Siya Kolisi’s rugby coaches during his years at Grey PE High School.

He was also Kolisi’s hostel master, as well as a maths teacher at the school, and has spoken at length about the Springbok captain’s days as a budding rugby player.

He has since emigrated to Australia’s east coast, with TimesLIVE reporting below:

Detectives from the Sunshine Coast child protection investigation unit executed a search warrant at an address in Mooloolaba, in Queensland on Australia’s east coast, where, according to a press statement, a number of items of interest were seized.

On Wednesday Queensland police made a public appeal on their social media pages for potential victims to come forward “as part of ongoing investigations into a male sporting coach allegedly found in possession of child exploitation material”.

“A 40-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count each of possessing and distributing child exploitation material,” read a statement on the Queensland police website.

Detectives are asking for those with any information to come forward, ahead of Carelse’s appearance in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on May 5.

Water Polo Queensland Inc. also announced that Carelse had been suspended from the organisation with immediate effect, where he had been working as a coach.

According to The Herald, Carelse posted this message to his Facebook account in response:

 

In a Fox Sports interview given in November 2019, shortly after the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup, Carelse said he coached Kolisi for four of the five years he was at Grey PE.

The statement via the Water Polo Queensland stresses that “this is now a matter for Queensland police and part of an ongoing investigation”.

[source:timeslive]