A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack has been banned from accessing the internet and from being in the company of a child under the age of 16 under the strict bail conditions he must comply with after being charged with a child pornography offence.
McCormack, 42, also must not communicate with anyone under the age of 16, visit areas known to be frequented by children such as playgrounds and schools, and cannot log on to any of his social media accounts even via a third party.
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McCormack suspended after child porn arrest
The Nine Network has suspended A Current Affair's Ben McCormack after the veteran reporter was arrested and charged for allegedly sending child abuse material.
His strict conditions, which include reporting to police twice a week and surrendering his passport, follow McCormack's roadside arrest at Moore Park on Thursday when he was later charged with using a carriage service for child pornography.
Police allege McCormack sent child pornography images over the internet and also engaged in explicit conversation about children with another man online.
Fairfax Media understands that police will allege McCormack committed the offence over a period of time and it was not just a one-off.
Police on Thursday searched the office of A Current Affair at Channel Nine's headquarters in Willoughby and his Alexandria apartment – seizing computers, a mobile phone and storage devices.
McCormack, who had worked at the television network for 25 years and was regarded as one of the show's most senior figures, was granted police bail and driven from Redfern police station in a Channel Nine four-wheel-drive on Thursday evening.
A former colleague at A Current Affair who had known McCormack for many years said if he had committed the offences he has been charged with, he has been "hiding in plain sight".
![Ben McCormack, charged with a child pornography offence, leaves Redfern police station on Thursday evening.](/web/20170408141005im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/f/f/0/3/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvge2f.png/1491564266581.jpg)
"You've got to understand, he was around people who gossip and tell stories for a living," the source said.
On Thursday, A Current Affair fill-in host Leila McKinnon promised to cover the story "without fear or favour".
![Ben McCormack has been banned from schools, playgrounds and contacting minors, as part of his bail conditions.](/web/20170408141005im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/g/6/2/2/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvge2f.png/1491564266581.jpg)
"[Nine news boss] Darren Wick has said he's not going to pull his punches on this one," the source said. "Nine needs to be commended. In this case, they've done the right thing."
In a statement, Wick said the network was co-operating with the police.
![Ben McCormack was seen as a senior reporter at A Current Affair.](/web/20170408141005im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/v/f/2/y/r/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gvge2f.png/1491564266581.jpg)
"It is a personal matter that does not relate to the program or Nine," he said.
Fairfax Media understands Nine is not taking any further action, given police are already investigating.
"There's no doubt in my mind, the lawyers would have told them to stay away [and] let the investigation run its course," the source said.
"[Nine doesn't want] to be accused of interfering with the police investigation."
The only exceptions to McCormack's strict bail conditions are if the child is a member of his immediate family and if the internet access is for work purposes.
Some of those who had worked with McCormack at Nine said they were shocked when news broke of his arrest on Thursday. One said he had clashed with other staff members from time to time in the office but was dedicated to the job and would often stay back late to ensure a story he was working on was the best it could be.
He is perhaps best known for his investigation of former Hey Dad...! star Robert Hughes, tracking the actor down in Singapore and leading A Current Affair's coverage as Hughes was found guilty on 10 counts of child abuse.
McCormack was also a dedicated member of North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club and was heavily involved in their Nippers program.
A spokeswoman for NSW Surf Life Saving said McCormack's club and state membership had been suspended on Friday morning. If convicted his membership would be terminated.