Former SA school rugby coach arrested in Australia for child porn

Local rugby circles have been rocked following the news that a former school teacher and rugby coach has been arrested after being found in possession of child pornography in Australia.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald items have been seized from the home of Dean Carelse, the 40-year-old former teacher and first team rugby coach at Grey High in Port Elizabeth.

According to the publication items were seized from an address in Mooloolaba on Saturday that lead to the police officials arresting Carelse.

Carelse apparently served as a waterpolo coach in Queensland. He is due to appear in front of a magistrate in court in Maroochydore on May 5.

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According to the report, Carelse is being charged with one count each of being in possession and distributing child exploitation material. He has been suspended from his position with Queensland Waterpolo pending further investigation.

Waterpolo Queensland Chief Executive Officer Melanie Woosnam confirmed that Carelse has been suspended following the arrest.

“Waterpolo Queensland wish to advise that Mr Dean Carelse has been suspended from employment with immediate effect as the Game Development and Competition Officer for the Sunshine Coast Region.

“The reason being that he has been charged with a serious criminal offence,” said Woosnam in the statement.

Woosnam said the matter would now be dealt with by the Queensland police department as part of an ongoing investigation.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article used a picture of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi. Carelse is a former first team rugby coach at the school that Kolisi attended and coached the Springbok. Using Kolisi’s picture was an error for which The Citizen apologises. 

The picture was also included in a tweet of the story, without providing context of the link between Kolisi and Carelse, for which The Citizen also apologises unreservedly. 

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