Mark Kevin Swain: Geraldton police officer pleads not guilty to touching and asking teenager for sex

A senior Geraldton police officer is set to stand trial after pleading not guilty to accusations he touched and encouraged a 14-year-old to have sex with him and plied two teenage girls with alcohol. Mark Kevin Swain, 49, appeared in Geraldton’s Magistrate Court on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to eight charges. The charges included two counts of indecently dealing with a child over 13 and under 16, three charges of encouraging a child over 13 and under 16 to act in sexual behaviour, and two charges of supplying juveniles with alcohol on unlicensed premises. Mr Swain had allegedly met a 14-year-old through the app Sugar Daddy Meet, invited the girl and her 14-year-old friend to his home, supplied them with alcohol, asked the girl for sex, and touched one of them. Mr Swain, who at the time was a police sergeant based at the Geraldton station, was charged in August last year. He has been stood down from the police force and the court has been previously told Mr Swain was focusing on his online surfboard repair business and had moved away from Geraldton. The court was also earlier told that Mr Swain was already subject to “occupational sanctions” before the latest charges for inappropriate conduct with underage girls. Mr Swain will appear again in court on July 26.