A senior New South Wales police officer said it wasn’t a “deal-breaker” if volunteers drafted to watch strip-searches conducted on minors at a music festival had not completed working with children checks.

And State Emergency Service volunteers drafted to act as independent support people for minors at the festival may not have known they were there to watch strip-searches be conducted.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is conducting ongoing hearings into the potentially illegal strip-search of minors at the Lost City music festival, an under-18s event held in Sydney in February.

The inquiry is investigating the strip-searches of three boys aged 15, 16 and 17 at the festival, none of which found any illegal drugs, as well as the “general question” of how police exercise their strip-search powers in NSW.

It has previously heard police had arranged for two SES volunteers to act as independent support people during searches at the festival, a requirement when strip-searching a minor in NSW.

But on Tuesday the commission heard the SES volunteers may not have been aware they were required to watch strip-searches be conducted, and that a detective chief inspector who arranged their presence at the festival did not require them to have undergone working-with-children checks.

In emails between police and SES read out at the hearing, a detective chief inspector told an SES worker the volunteers would be required as support people for minors “that police need to interview” and not during strip-searches.

When the SES worker replied to ask the detective chief inspector whether it was necessary for the volunteers to hold working with children checks, he said it was “not a deal-breaker”.

“If they have those checks fine [but] they will be with police officers so it isn’t a deal-breaker,” the officer wrote.

The inquiry has previously heard that of the at least 30 strip-searches performed on minors at the festival, only five recorded that a support person was present.

On Monday it heard that one 15-year-old boy was told to “hold your dick and lift your balls up and show me your gooch” during a search, while an officer touched the testicles and buttocks of another 17-year-old during a search.

When the LECC’s chief commissioner Michael Adams, QC, questioned on Monday why SES volunteers were suitable support people a senior officer at the event said they were members of a “very reputable organisation”.

Adams replied: “Yes, but it’s not part of their ordinary duties to watch naked young people be searched by police.”

The state’s attorney general, Mark Speakman, admitted that strip-searches were “potentially very traumatising” and that police should use them “appropriately and carefully”.

“To strip-search someone is traumatising for the subjects they strip-search, particularly if they are children, so we want to make sure the balance is right,” Speakman said.

“We want to make sure the police and others clearly understand the law.”

Police officer denies touching boy’s genitals

On Tuesday afternoon, a police officer strongly rejected an accusation he touched a 16-year-old boy’s genitals and buttocks during a strip-search at the festival.

The detective sergeant was named in police paperwork in relation to the search of the teen, who claimed he put his hands in his underwear, but the officer said that “definitely” didn’t happen.

The officer, who cannot be named, said he was convinced of the urgency of the situation, telling of his concern the teens had been involved in a drug deal and might destroy evidence by swallowing drugs.

“Time was of the essence,” he said.

The officer, who said he was well aware of his legal obligations when searching young people, was asked what steps he took to get a parent, guardian or independent support person to be present for the searches.

“None, sir,” the officer of 26 years told Adams.

“Because I was of the view that delaying a search of those young persons would risk the loss of evidence.”

The boy - one of up to eight teens stopped after an undercover security worker claimed he had seen drugs sold - has told the commission in a statement that a male officer who was not wearing gloves made contact with his genitals and buttocks during a search.

No drugs were found on the teen but he was thrown out of the festival anyway.

The detective sergeant said he cannot be sure the teen was one of those he strip-searched.

He replied “definitely not” when asked if he had put his hand inside the boy’s underwear and touched his skin.

He said the young person was either mistaken in what he recalled as having happened or the search was done by another officer.

When it was put to him by Dr Peggy Dwyer, counsel assisting the commission, that it is difficult to verify the story due to the fact there was no-one else at any of the searches he carried out, he said: “I’m aware of that.”

The officer, after attempting to explain his justification for the searches, rejected scathing criticism from Adams who accused him of “making this up as you go along”.

Adams said the officer appeared to have relied simply on information from a security worker, not having seen any drug deal take place with his own eyes.

“I relied on my experience, sir,” he responded.

The commissioner said he had failed to include a series of “vital” details on the COPS event - a form completed after searches are performed.

“That means that any investigation by this commission, quite apart from your commissioner, is stymied for lack of relevant information. Do you agree that’s the objective consequence of your omissions?” Adams asked him.

“Yes, maybe,” he replied.

The hearing is expected to last the rest of this week.

Australian Associated Press contributed to this report