A NSW man has been sentenced to one year and seven months’ jail by Sydney Downing Centre District Court, following an AFP investigation into child abuse material shared on a social media application.
AFP Child Protection Operations investigators from Eastern Command arrested the man at his Parkes home on 8 December, 2020, following information from a previous investigation into an alleged child sex offender residing in Victoria.
The man, 47, was initially charged with possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
Further evidence revealed that this man allegedly shared child abuse material via the social media application ‘Kik’.
He was additionally charged with using a carriage service to transmit, make available, publish, distribute, advertise or promote material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The man pleaded guilty to both charges on 9 July, 2021.
AFP Detective Leading Senior Constable Ernest Smith said the sharing of child abuse videos and images is not a victimless crime.
“These are not just images on a screen, every image and every second of a video has a real child being abused and being subjected to a situation that no child should ever experience,” Detective Leading Senior Constable Smith said.
He was sentenced to one year and seven months’ jail and is eligible for release in June 2023.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) 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.
