A police officer who admitted sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl when he was a teenager has not been fired by Victoria Police.
Conor McCurley, 26, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he accepted responsibility for the offense committed against the boy before donning the badge.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal McCurley remains employed by Victoria Police, albeit suspended without pay.
Police officer Conor McCurley has had to offer a public apology to a woman he sexually assaulted as a child.
A Victoria Police spokesperson did not respond to further questions about McCurley’s future with the force.
“At this time the 26-year-old is currently suspended without pay…there is nothing more to add,” the statement read.
McCurley was charged with 17 offences, including numerous counts of committing indecent acts with or in the presence of a child under 16 and one count of “sexual penetration”.
The cop avoided conviction after agreeing to admit his dastardly crime as part of a deal with prosecutors that allowed him to be sentenced under the court’s diversion program.
Under Victorian law, diversion plans are often passed on to first-time offenders and are designed not to affect a person’s life in the future.
Under the diversion plan, McCurley was not required to formally plead to the charges and instead simply admitted to the charged crimes.
While he was not found guilty of any crime, Victoria Police has a history of dismissing officers who have been cleared of serious charges.
Former detective Murray Gentner has been sacked despite being cleared over a scandal involving the release of a photograph of Dani Laidley in custody.
Controversial former drug squad officer Paul Dale was also shown the door despite never having been convicted of any crime.
McCurley’s return to the beat remains highly unlikely given the facts of his case.
McCurley avoided conviction and was released on probation. Image: NCA Newswire / Nicki Connolly
His sordid story made national headlines in September when it was revealed that he was marrying his partner Kim Trajcevski.
McCurley was charged on August 16 following an internal police investigation by Victoria Police’s Sexual Offenses and Family Violence Unit.
The news came just weeks before he was set to marry his fiancée of two years at the picturesque Acacia Ridge Winery in Yarra Valley, which costs $13,800 to rent for the venue alone.
The couple’s wedding countdown website showed a timeline of their love story, detailing how they met in May 2020, bought land together to build their first home in January 2021, and got engaged in May of that anus.
Mrs. Trajcevski, now McCurley, supported her man throughout the court process.
Last week, in In an emotional impact statement to the court, his victim, now in her early 20s, said her entire life changed as a result of McCurley’s actions.
“They let me keep the disgusting secret,” he said.
“I started to feel like I was the problem… I felt like I was losing control of my life.”
Kim McCurley (left) supported her husband during his court appearances.
The court was told the woman confronted McCurley years after the abuse ended, with the first officer complaining he had been “painted in a horrible light”.
“It was the mistake of an ignorant young man,” he responded by text message.
But the woman told the court what she described as a “mistake that made me feel like it had cost me most of my life.”
“They have called me vindictive and spiteful for seeking justice,” she said, her voice breaking.
“They are taking away a young man’s sleep, they say, but I feel like they have taken away my childhood.”
The court was told McCurley was suspended from Victoria Police without pay after internal investigators charged him just weeks before his wedding.
The sex offense occurred when McCurley was a teenager and before he joined Victoria Police.
The case was initially set for a pretrial hearing to determine whether McCurley should face trial after lawyer Caroline Salter said last year she denied the allegations.
But on Tuesday, prosecutor Matthew Fisher declared the case “resolved.”
He told the court that both the prosecution and defense agreed the case was suitable for diversion.
“At first glance, the public may say that it is scandalous that this matter is being treated in this way,” he said.
“But we say there are powerful factors at play in reaching this position.”
Fisher said both the woman and a senior Crown prosecutor had agreed that diversion was the correct course of action.
After hearing both sides, Magistrate Malcolm Thomas agreed and said that despite the serious offences, he considered it was “appropriate to grant the diversion”.
“In my opinion, this allows (the plaintiff’s) voice to be heard, gives her agency and forces McCurley to publicly acknowledge her actions,” he said.
Thomas said a “powerful factor” in his decision was the woman’s support for deviance and avoiding the “deeply traumatic” experience of testifying at trial.
“It is an unfortunate feature of the system that requires complainants to describe in great detail … often the most painful memories of their lives,” he said.
As part of the diversion, McCauley was required to offer a public apology, pay $7,500 in compensation, donate $2,500 to a charity of his choice and be of good behavior for one year.
Standing on the witness stand Tuesday afternoon, McCurley kept his head bowed and said he was “deeply sorry.”
“I know that what I have done has caused irreversible damage,” he said.
“I want you to know that I fully acknowledge my behavior and how it made you feel.”
Asking McCurley to appear in court, Thomas described his behavior towards the woman as “absolutely disgusting”.
“You should feel a great sense of shame for the things you did and you should carry that shame.”