Vincent Manner, 57, worked as a digital forensics officer for Victoria Police from June 2016 to August 2025, extracting data from digital devices for use in court. He was stood down with pay in August 2025 and resigned while under investigation in November 2025.
He was arrested in October 2025 and, over a year later, was charged with 10 counts of possessing and accessing child abuse material, two counts of misconduct in public office, and 11 counts of failing to provide information under warrant. Manner is scheduled to appear in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on November 4.
Following his arrest, Victoria Police launched an audit codenamed Operation Turnberry which reviewed at least 112 active cases. In a statement last week, the force said the re-examination had been completed. “At this stage it is believed all issues have been identified and reviewed and impacted parties have been notified,” a spokesperson said. Police would not confirm the exact number of cases disrupted, stating the matter was before the courts.
A Legal Aid spokesperson said the organisation was aware of at least eight cases affected by the audit, almost all of them delayed. Some matters were adjourned multiple times as police re-extracted evidence.
The delays have had a direct human cost. Jean, a Shepparton resident whose family was involved in an affected case, said the proceedings had been adjourned four times since the audit began, adding to earlier delays. “Every time we’ve been following it, we’ve had to make the trip to Bendigo, which means time off work and the stress and trauma of being there,” she said. She noted the delays had also prevented her family from obtaining intervention orders.
When Manner’s arrest was made public last year, the Centre Against Sexual Assault voiced concern that the situation would deter victims from reaching out to support services or police.