A Kogarah station police officer has formally denied neglecting his duty weeks before a rapist on parole allegedly sexually assaulted a child in a bathroom.
Leading Senior Constable Andrew Michael Bruce, 31, is accused of failing to look into the criminal history of Anthony Peter Sampieri after a woman in October 2018 complained the parolee was making threatening phone calls.
Bruce, from the St George Police Area Command, is also accused of failing to alert the department overseeing Sampieri's parole.
Weeks later, Sampieri allegedly raped, choked and filmed a seven-year-old girl he held captive in the bathroom of a dance studio in the Arena Building in Derby Street, Kogarah.
Bruce's lawyer entered pleas of not guilty to four charges of neglecting duty on behalf of his client today at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court.
The police officer was not required to appear and is also excused from attending the next mention due on August 8.
AAP
