A gay Sydney party producer has been arrested and charged with possession of child abuse material and prohibited drugs.
Matt Bachl was arrested by police last week and charged with two counts of possessing child abuse material and one count of possessing a prohibited drug, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.
“Following an investigation by Sydney City Police Area Command under Strike Force Saltia, detectives executed a search warrant at a Chatswood unit just after 6am on Friday 28 March, seizing electronic devices and gamma butyrolactone (GBL),” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
Bachl appeared before Hornsby Court on Friday where he was granted conditional bail.
He is one of the producers of Apollo The Party, which holds parties throughout the year, most recently during Mardi Gras.
The parties are billed as a “turbo-charged, balls-to-the-wall, high-energy, hands-in-the-air, anthem-loving, high-octane dance party like no other”.
Bachl has not posted to social media about the arrest. His last post on Instagram was a photo from the recent Apollo party held just over four weeks ago.
The 38-year-old is a senior media adviser with Corrective Services NSW and has been suspended from his role without pay while facing court.
Prior to his most recent job he worked at the Nine Network for eleven years as a senior supervising producer.
Authorities have not yet detailed the exact nature of the materials allegedly found in Bachl’s possession.
He is next scheduled to appear before court on April 9.
Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: eliot.hastie@gaysydneynews.com.au
