A Newcastle-based photographer has been refused bail over the alleged sexual and indecent assaults of three women who were modelling for photographic sessions, police said.
Allan Todd Cameron, 54, runs a photography company Primeval Edge, and claims to have done hundreds of photo shoots since 2009.
Lake Macquarie Local Area Command detectives commenced an investigation after a then 19-year-old woman told police she was sexually assaulted during a photography session at a studio in Sydney Street, Gateshead, in June.
Police officers seized a computer allegedly containing more than 300,000 images, including sexually explicit images.
As a result of their investigation, police then spoke to two more women, both now aged 25, who also claimed they were assaulted, during photographic sessions in 2012 and 2017.
On Tuesday, officers executed a search warrant at a home in Gateshead and seized further items.
About 1pm on Wednesday, Cameron attended Belmont police station and was arrested by detectives.
He was charged with eight counts of assault with an act of indecency, four counts of sexual intercourse without consent, two counts of procuring a person not a prostitute for prostitution, and three counts of inciting a person 16 years or over to commit an act of indecency.
On a website spruiking his business, and using the profile name "Old Fart", he says he respects the women he works with.
"Every single model I've ever worked with has my utmost respect and thanks, without you all I couldn't have produced the work I've created to date," he wrote.
On a website for Primeval Edge, he described himself as "strictly a part time photographer, I've got to balance Family, Business and Photography more than some others".
He said the styles that "capture my interest" are casual fashion, bikini, pin up, lingerie and glamour, including nude photography.
"I am not looking to work with Diva's. If your [sic] not about hard work while having fun and more about being as difficult as possible to get along with, look somewhere else."
On another photography site, he says a photo session with him "is about fun".
Cameron, who now runs an IT business, appears to have deleted his social media accounts.
In court on Thursday, his solicitor, Mark Evans, applied for bail, telling magistrate Ian Cheetham his client had no criminal record and strong community ties.
But police prosecutor Adam Checkley opposed his conditional release and said Cameron posed an unacceptable risk to the community, citing the number of alleged victims, the time period and the nature of the allegations.
"There are three prosecution witnesses in this matter, who all describe similar experiences with the accused," Sergeant Checkley said.
"The offending behaviour is alleged to have occurred over a long period of time.
"The accused was allegedly in a position of trust at the time that these offences occurred and committed these offences against victims that were of a much younger age than himself."
In relation to concerns about further offending, Mr Evans said Cameron had shut down his amateur photography business and police had seized his equipment.
The magistrate agreed it was a strong prosecution case and said, in his view, Cameron posed an unacceptable risk of failing to appear, endangering the community and committing further offences.
"The conditions advanced really are to return him home and require him not to contact the alleged victims," Mr Cheetham said.
"In the circumstances the conditions advanced will not address the risk and so bail will be refused."
Cameron is next due to face court via video link on December 13.
Investigations by detectives are ongoing.
The Newcastle Herald
