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Identities of alleged NSW abuse ring revealed

A group of people linked to a performing arts school west of Sydney, who are charged with abusing three young boys have been named after a court lifted a suppression order.

Four of the seven people involved in a NSW abuse ring have been revealed
Source: AAP

2 min read

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Therese Ann Cook, Paul Christopher Cook, Yyani Cook-Williams and Clarissa Meredith are among seven people accused of abusing three young boys west of Sydney.

A 58-year-old woman had sex with a seven-year-old boy, and did so again more than a year later, as part of a ring which repeatedly raped and abused three young boys, police have alleged.

The woman, Therese Ann Cook, her brother Paul Christopher Cook, 52, her daughter Yyani Cook-Williams, 29, and Clarissa Meredith, 23, are among seven people collectively facing 127 charges including kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault of a child and making child abuse material.

The four who can now be named have all entered pleas of not guilty.

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Penrith Local Court magistrate Stephen Corry on Thursday decided in favour of five media organisations in lifting a suppression order that had concealed the identities of four of the accused, who are linked to a performing arts school west of Sydney.

A 17-year-old girl, an 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman, who were also arrested on Monday after a long investigation, still can't be identified.

The alleged abuse of the three boys - who were aged under eight at the time - reportedly included sadistic sex acts and "blood rituals".


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