Hi there. Your question raises two separate legal issues. Firstly, sexual offences against children are serious crimes that should be immediately reported to the police. A victim or someone who knows about or suspects the criminal behaviour can report the matter to the police. Once the matter is reported, the police are responsible for investigating and prosecuting the matter in court. A private citizen can help with the police investigation but they are not responsible for prosecuting the matter. If you know or suspect that a sexual offence involving a child has been committed by someone, even if the offence was committed a long time ago, you should immediately report the matter to the police. Contact details for your local police station are available on the NSW Police Force website (www.police.nsw.gov.au).

Secondly, in Australia, invasion of privacy is not a crime. It is also not possible to sue someone for invasion or breach of privacy. In some circumstances, the alleged breach of privacy may amount to defamation (e.g. if the sensitive information or content is defamatory and published or distributed to third parties) or if confidential information has been leaked. Without knowing more about your particular case, it is difficult to know whether you could pursue either of these legal claims.

Suggested way forward

You should report any suspected or known child molestation to the police immediately so they can investigate and prosecute the matter. If you require legal assistance as a victim or witness, you could seek help from Legal Aid NSW (www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au), although their eligibility criteria are very strict and they are not able to take on every case. You may also want to search for a private lawyer who can advise you of your options, especially in relation to the alleged breach of privacy. By pressing the “Consult a Lawyer” button, LawAdvisor can help you search for experienced lawyers and obtain fee proposals for their services. Costs for legal advice and representation will vary between providers based on experience and the scope of services.