A New South Wales man, 69, will face Sydney Downing Centre Court today (25 August, 2022) after being charged with possessing child abuse material.
Investigators linked a man in Wentworth Point to the file sharing network where the child abuse material was allegedly located.
Officers from the AFP Eastern Command Child Protection Operations and the Queensland Police Service executed a search warrant at the man’s home and seized electronic devices allegedly containing child abuse material.
The devices will be subject to further digital forensic examination.
The man was arrested and charged on 2 August, 2022 with one count of possessing or controlling child abuse material, obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(A) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.
AFP Detective Acting Sergeant Clare Fitzpatrick said this arrest was another example of how prevalent online child abuse is and how easy it is to access.
“We need the community’s help to identify perpetrators and protect victims of child abuse both in Australia and around the world,” said Det-a/Sgt Fitzpatrick.
“If you come across child abuse material online, whether it’s through a social media platform or a file sharing network, please report it to the ACCCE at https://www.accce.gov.au/report.”
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the ACCCE is driving a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into online child sexual exploitation and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety.
An award-winning podcast launched last year by the ACCCE ‘Closing The Net’ is working to change that, showcasing that knowledge is power and that our only chance to help prevent this issue is if we bring a ‘whole-of-community’ response.
The podcast series offers valuable tips and advice on how to keep kids safe online. Listen to the Closing The Net podcast on your favourite streaming platform.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
