Man charged over alleged rape of girl in park in Penshurst in Sydney’s south

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A man has been charged over the alleged rape of a teenage girl in a Sydney park.

The 14-year-old girl contacted police and reported that she was sexually assaulted by an unknown man in Penshurst, in Sydney’s south, on Monday.

She was allegedly taken into a toilet block between 7.30am and 8.30am and sexually assaulted.

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Later that day, the teen, who lives with a cognitive impairment, reported the attack to police.

Police attended Pole Depot Park and established a crime scene.

Following an investigation, a 46-year-old man was arrested at a nearby home.

7NEWS has learned the man, Billy Smith, is a known sex offender, who was somehow allowed to live next door to a playground and childcare centre. According to court documents, Smith lives in the unit block next door to Pole Depot Park.

He was charged with five offences, including producing child abuse material, aggravated sexual intercourse of a child more than 14 years and under 16 years, and using a child over 14 years to make child abuse material.

7NEWS can reveal Smith was on parole, serving a jail sentence for similar offences, and was released in May.

The 46-year-old man was arrested after the 14-year-old girl reported the alleged sexual assault to police. Credit: NSW Police

He appeared before Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday, where he was refused bail.

He is due back in court in October.

– With Bill Hogan