A New South Wales man was sentenced yesterday (15 August, 2023) by the Port Macquarie District Court to four years and nine month imprisonment for accessing and producing child abuse material and a weapons offence.
The Kempsey man, 58, was arrested when the AFP executed a search warrant at his home near Kempsey on 8 June, 2022.
During the warrant, the AFP seized multiple items, including a mobile phone and DVDs that contained child abuse material, as well as a shotgun, rifle, knuckle-duster and a silencer.
The investigation began after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from Europol relating to Australian users accessing child abuse material via a website. The AFP linked the man to the illegal online activity.
The man pleaded guilty in the Port Macquarie District Court on 21 June, 2023, to the following charges:
- One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- One count of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of possessing child abuse material, contrary to section 91H(2) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW);
- One count of possessing an unauthorised firearm, contrary to section 7A of the Firearms Act 1996 (NSW);
- One count of not keeping firearm safely, contrary to section 39 of the Firearms Act 1996 (NSW); and
- One count of possessing a prohibited weapon without permit, contrary to section 7 of the Weapons Prohibition Act 1998 (NSW).
He was yesterday (15 August 2023) sentenced to four years and nine months imprisonment with a three year non-parole period.
AFP First Constable Emily McFarlane said the investigation demonstrated the AFP’s commitment to investigate and charge offenders involved in online child exploitation.
“Our investigators are relentless in their pursuit of anyone sharing or accessing child abuse material,” she said.
“If you have information that could help law enforcement, please report to the ACCCE.”
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 are urged to contact the ACCCE at www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety. 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.
