Strike Force Trawler detectives have charged a NSW man following a cross-jurisdictional investigation into online child exploitation.
In December 2018, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) commenced an investigation following a referral from Queensland Police Service.
Police will allege in court that the man engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old girl on various social networking and messaging applications. He also requested and received videos and images of the child that are deemed to be child exploitation material.
Following extensive inquiries, a 25-year-old man was arrested by Strike Force Trawler detectives, with the assistance of Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police, after he arrived on a flight from the USA at Sydney International Airport about 9.45am yesterday (Tuesday 15 January 2019).
During a search of the man and a search warrant at a home in Quakers Hill, investigators seized mobile phones, a computer, a laptop, and electronic storage devices.
The Quakers Hill man was taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with use carriage service to solicit child pornography.
He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday 31 January 2019.
Inquiries are continuing.
Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.
Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the CEIU; and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.
Anyone with information about internet predators should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/.
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.
