A detective-in-training started investigating a sexual assault. What he uncovered was overwhelming

November 10, 2026 — 5:00amWarning: Graphic contentChris Phibbs had been learning the ropes of detective work for four months when a young woman walked into Auburn police station to report a sexual assault. The woman, an international student, had responded to an advertisement for night cleaning work on Kaam Kotha, a popular online platform used by the Nepalese diaspora as a one-stop shop for housing, employment and community connection.Her recollection of the night was blurry, but the details she remembered clearly before losing consciousness – consuming a drink made by the man whose apartment she was cleaning, being led to his bedroom, and the assault itself – were alarming enough to warrant immediate investigation.Embedded in the criminal investigations team at Hurtsville, where the woman was assaulted, Phibbs was given her contact details and started work on what would become an exhaustive 18-month probe under Strike Force Bonilla.Detective Senior Constable Chris Phibbs was on Friday named the NSW Police officer of the year for his investigative work.Kate GeraghtyIn August, the woman’s attacker, Arvind Ravinesh Prasad, was sentenced to a minimum of 13½ years imprisonment after being found guilty last year of drugging and assaulting her and other vulnerable women he lured to his apartment in similar circumstances.“I think it was probably the worst offending I’ve ever come across in my career, even though it hasn’t been particularly long,” says Phibbs, 31, who was on Friday named NSW Police’s officer of the year for his work on several investigations, including Strike Force Bonilla.“The way he preyed upon them was disgusting. Just absolutely reckless for their safety and for their welfare and their wellbeing so there was a lot of driving force behind it just for me personally to try and get some justice for them.”‘For me, there was a lot of pressure.’Detective Senior Constable Chris PhibbsSoon after Phibbs, now a senior constable, arrested Prasad in August 2023, the potential scale of his crimes became clear. Messages recovered from Prasad’s mobile phone indicated he had spoken to more than 400 women, some of whom Phibbs feared had also been preyed upon. For a young investigator still more than two years away from being designated a detective, the prospect of finding and interviewing hundreds of potential victims was overwhelming.Most nights, Phibbs took his work home with him, pouring over messages and financial records to build a brief of evidence against Prasad while still studying to become a detective.The pressure, too, of securing a conviction for Prasad’s victims, many of whom were too frightened to report the assaults to police, weighed heavily on Phibbs. When, after days of deliberation, a jury found Prasad guilty of all 13 counts Phibbs had laid, a wave of relief washed over the 31-year-old. Justice had been done.“For me, there was a lot of pressure because they’d obviously put their faith and their trust in us to succeed. They were extremely fearful that if we weren’t successful, then he would come out and come for them in some way,” he says.Prasad, 55, has lodged a notice of intention to appeal his conviction and sentence in the Court of Criminal Appeal. He is eligible for parole in February 2037.Friday’s recognition was overwhelming for Phibbs, who credits his colleagues with helping to guide him and secure Prasad’s conviction. They, he says, deserve the same plaudits. “I wouldn’t have ever got to this stage without the people that work around me,” he says.While detective work is Phibbs’ passion, he hopes to one day find himself in a position to share his knowledge with junior officers like senior colleagues have done for him. Until then, he is content to keep chipping away.“I’m still finding my feet,” he says. “In terms of job aspiration, I’m taking it day by day.”Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.More:CrimeFor subscribersCrimeCourtsSydneyCourtsPoliceFrom our partners