An aboriginal Western Australian government employee who last year won a child protection award has been charged with child sex offences.
Police allege Mandurah man Barry Wayne Lawrence, 38, sexually abused a teenage boy between 2022 and 2025 while working for the Department of Communities, and he appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he was granted bail on a $10,000 surety.
Lawrence is facing four charges – indecently dealing with a child over 16 under their authority, indecently dealing with a child over 13 and under 16, and two counts of allegedly intending to expose a person under 16 years to indecent matter, ABC News reported.
He will reappear in court again next month.
The charges come less that a year after Lawrence was given a partnership award as an aboriginal practice leader at Western Australia’s inaugural Child Protection Excellence Awards, presented by then-minister for child protection Sabina Winton.
Ms Winton told ABC Radio Perth she was not aware about any concerns about Lawrence at the time, and confirmed that his Working With Children Check has been revoked while the police investigation is ongoing.
Lawrence was chair of Mandurah’s NAIDOC Committee, worked with aboriginal young people, led art therapy sessions for children, and has been pictured with prominent politicians including Liberal leader Basil Zempilas and then-Aboriginal Affairs Minister Tony Buti.
The Department of Communities said it was aware an employee was facing criminal charges.
“While the matter is before the courts it is not appropriate for the Department to provide specific comment,” the department said in a statement.
“The safety and wellbeing of children is always the Department’s top priority and Communities works collaboratively with WA Police to support criminal investigations.”
Header image: Barry Wayne Lawrence (X).
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