THE Nine Network has moved swiftly to suspend Ben McCormack after the A Current Affair senior reporter was charged with using a carriage service for child pornography material.

In a statement following his release from police custody tonight, a Nine spokeswoman said “while justice MUST take its course, given the serious nature of the allegations [the network] has immediately suspended Ben McCormack”.

The 20-year veteran at Nine led investigations for ACA which led to the conviction of Hey Dad child abuser Robert Hughes, currently serving a minimum of six years in jail for sexually abusing four young girls over a 20 year period.

media_camera Ben McCormack (far right) leaves Redfern Police station after being given bail. Picture: Adam Yip

media_camera Ben McCormack with Strike Force detectives today. (NSW Police provided the blurred image) media_camera McCormack, 42, was taken to Redfern Police station for questioning and was later charged. Picture: NSW Police

Today, ACA stand-in host Leila McKinnon said the show had a track record of chasing the hard stories.

“While justice must take its course, and given the serious nature of the allegations, Nine has taken a strong decision and immediately suspended Ben McCormack,” she said.

“A Current Affair has a long history of pursuing offenders in these types of cases and we intend to cover this story without fear or favour. We stress — these charges relate to Ben McCormack’s alleged personal conduct and in no way reflect his behaviour within A Current Affair or the Nine Network.”

Regular host Tracy Grimshaw was in Hobart on assignment tonight.

News Corp Australia understands the reporter and volunteer Bondi lifesaver has reportedly been warned by friends about his interest in dating teenage men.

“He’s always on Grindr and having dates with young-looking men. He was a bit of a Peter Pan, didn’t want to get old,” a source, who declined to be named, said.

The former colleague claimed “he would often show photos of guys he was seeing and they would always be baby-faced teens but a legal age.”

“His life is lifesaving, but he mentors and trains young boys there.”

McCormack was pulled over on Driver Ave, Moore Park about 7.30am and arrested by Sex Crimes Squad detectives.

The 42-year-old was taken to Redfern police station for questioning and this afternoon, was charged with using a carriage service for child pornography material.

Police allege McCormack “engaged in sexually explicit conversations about children with an adult male and discussed child pornography”, according to a police statement.

media_camera McCormack makes his way through a media scrum as he leaves the police station. Picture: AAP/Dan Himbrechts

media_camera Ben McCormack is driven away from Redfern after being released on bail. Picture: John Fotiadis

Search warrants were executed at his home unit in Alexandria and the Channel Nine ACA office in Willoughby, where detectives seized computers, a mobile phone, and electronic storage devices.

media_camera A number of items were seized during the raids. McCormack’s face has been blurred by NSW Police.

He was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on May 1.

He was released from police custody just before 6pm tonight to face awaiting media but he did not comment before being ushered into a vehicle.

The arrest was part of Strike Force Trawler, with officers initiating the investigation after being alerted by the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.

media_camera Police allege McCormack “engaged in sexually explicit conversations about children with an adult male and discussed child pornography”.

media_camera Police speak to McCormack after pulling him over in Moore Park. Picture: NSW Police media_camera Ben McCormack is driven away by police today. Picture: NSW Police

media_camera Nine Network security guards following the police raid of A Current Affair’s office. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Ben McCormack leaves police station afters being charged over child pornography offences Ben McCormack leaves police station afters being charged over child pornography offences

The Nine Network confirmed a police operation took place at the news headquarters and said Nine was co-operating with police.

“There are police there (at ACA offices) and they are investigating,” Nine’s head of publicity Victoria Buchan said.

“We are co-operating.”

In an unfortunate coincidence for the network, McCormack’s shock arrest comes exactly one year after its flagship program, 60 Minutes was splashed across the headlines after star reporter Tara Brown and three crew were arrested and jailed in Lebanon on charges of kidnapping following a child recovery mission in Beirut went wrong.

Originally published as Charged Nine reporter ‘bit of a Peter Pan’