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A group of seven men and women from The Arcade Circus training school in the NSW Blue Mountains have been charged with 127 offences over the alleged sexual and physical abuse of three boys between 2014 and 2016.

NSW Police confirmed charges including rape, kidnapping and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, alleged that the accused also used the young boys to produce child pornography material.

The Arcade Circus is a community-based organisation whose participants include children with and without disabilities.

The charges result from an investigation by Detectives from the NSW Polic Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad set up Strike Force Baillieu in July last year.

Circus owner and carer, Therese Ann Cook, aged 58, is listed to appear in Penrith Local Court on Tuesday.

Cook has been charged with 43 offences, including aggravated sexual assault of a child under 10, sexual intercourse with a child under 10 and aggravated kidnapping. Court listings show an Apprehended Violence Order against her has also been sought for the protection of one minor.

In an online profile, Cook said she started The Arcade Circus in 2009 and believed she was "tragically lost from the back of a travelling circus truck shortly after birth".

The profile added “after working in health and education Therese followed the striped and feathered path and discovered her circus community in 2005.”

The profile said she is a carer and teacher who works for the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and was given a scholarship to train and attend the first National Indigenous and Social Circus Training and Conference.

The Arcade Circus describes itself as an "all abilities community circus" that offers term-long programs for young people.

The seven people were arrested at homes in the Blue Mountains and Western Sydney yesterday (Monday 5th February).

They are appearing at various courts across metropolitan Sydney today.

Images: The Arcade Circus training school (top) and Therese Ann Cook, the owner of The Arcade Circus, has been charged with 43 offences of physical and sexual abuse (below). Images from Facebook/The Arcade Circus. 

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