A 35-year-old Ipswich man is due to appear in court today (8 April 2021) charged with child exploitation offences following an Australian Federal Police (AFP) child protection investigation.
Officers from the Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) executed a search warrant at an address in Gailes, Ipswich on 28 January 2021 after receiving a report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States.
The report indicated a person, believed to be in Queensland, was uploading child abuse material using a Google account.
During the search of the Gailes home officers located two laptops, an iPad and five USBs, allegedly containing child abuse material. Three mobile phones and two external hard drives were also located and seized for forensic analysis.
The man was later charged with three counts of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service and five counts of possessing child exploitation material, as well as unrelated state offences.
The maximum penalty for these Commonwealth child abuse material offences is 15 years imprisonment.
He is due to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
AFP Detective Superintendent Child Protection Operations Paula Hudson, said the AFP’s international partnerships were vital to stopping those spreading child abuse material online.
“It takes a network to break a network and this arrest is an example of our strong relationships with international law enforcement,” Detective Superintendent Hudson said.
“Our message to offenders accessing, transmitting and exchanging child abuse material is that the AFP will not stop investigating those responsible for spreading this abhorrent material and bringing them before the court.”
Members of the public who have any information about this network or people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button.
