Victoria police allege man posed as COVID-19 inspector and demanded sex with woman

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A man hired to help contact tracers in Victoria harassed an isolated woman, showed up to her home and demanded sex, police say.

Key points: Police claim the man took screenshots of the woman’s address and then went there. He reportedly told the woman he would “protect” her if she had sex with him The man was arrested last week

Details of 25-year-old Abdulfatah Omar Awow’s alleged offense were revealed in police documents released by Victoria Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Mr Awow was arrested last week and faces more than 10 counts, including aggravated burglary, criminal harassment, impersonation of an authorized officer and attempting to induce a sexual act by threats and fraud.

Police said Mr Awow was hired by a company hired to do research and data analysis for the Department of Health’s COVID contact tracing team.

He had access to the personal data of isolated people and part of his role was to carry out welfare checks.

On July 14, Mr Awow allegedly called a 31-year-old woman isolating herself in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, registered her address and reported to her home after her shift ended.

“She allowed the accused to enter her house on the understanding that he was a Department of Health building inspector,” Victoria Chief Constable Christopher Moloney wrote in a statement delivered to the Department of Health. court.

While in his bedroom, Mr. Awow reportedly told the woman that she was not following her isolation orders and that she could have “a lot of problems”. He is accused of having warned the woman that she could be deported.

“He suggested to the victim that if they had sex, he would not inform the government of his failure to comply with the isolation requirements,” police alleged.

“The accused said that other women he had consulted had acceded to his requests and that by complying with his requests they did not get into trouble,” police said.

Investigators allege Mr Awow used a translator app on the woman’s phone, writing: “You make me happy and I will lie for you and no one needs to know and you will be protected.”

The woman refused the alleged advances and told Mr. Awow to leave. One of her roommates came out of their room and saw the altercation.

Before leaving, police said the woman took a photo of the man who came to her house.

Police allege that Mr. Awow called the woman five more times, leaving her “traumatized and scared”. In the days that followed, she returned to Sydney.

The Ministry of Health opened an investigation after learning of the alleged incident and a possible information leak. Victoria’s COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said real authorized officers always wear their uniform when working and will never ask to enter a quarantined person’s home.

Mr. Awow was finally arrested and charged on August 12. Police said Mr. Awow responded “no comment” to all questions put to him.

Chief Constable Moloney wrote that Mr. Awow had “not cooperated” with the police and investigators were unable to retrieve his cell phone.

The phone could contain “personal information of other people who were in a similar situation” to the woman, police said.

Mr Awow is in custody and will appear in court again in November, after his lawyers withdrew a scheduled bail application on Thursday.

Mr. Awow has since been dismissed from his post.

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