Three men have been charged with child sex offences following a joint investigation involving detectives from Argos and the Gold Coast Child Protection and Investigation Unit, targeting alleged offenders using the internet with the intention of engaging in sexual acts with children.
The investigation commenced on Sunday November 19 on the Gold Coast, where it will be alleged the men engaged with covert online profiles maintained by Argos detectives, on which they arranged to meet and access who they believed was a ‘child’ for sex.
It will be alleged all three men attended Gold Coast locations between November 20 and 21 with the intention of meeting with a ‘child’, they were instead met by detectives.
As a result of the operation, a 73-year-old Currumbin Waters man was charged with grooming a parent or carer of a child under 16 years with intent to facilitate the procurement of the child to engage in a sexual act.
A 50-year-old Arundel man was charged with grooming a parent or carer of a child under 16 years with intent to facilitate the procurement of the child to engage in a sexual act.
A 25-year-old Southport man was charged with grooming a parent or carer of a child under 16 years with intent to facilitate the procurement of the child to engage in a sexual act.
The men are all expected to appear before Southport Magistrates Court on December 5.
Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of the Child Abuse and Sexual Crime Group’s unit Argos said the Queensland Police Service is committed to relentlessly targeting those who seek to sexually exploit children online.
“Everyday detectives from Argos operate across a range of online platforms to identify and prosecute offenders who seek to exploit our children,” Detective Inspector Donaldson said.
“This operation highlights that parents and caregivers need to have regular conversations with their children about online safety and the importance of having a trusted adult that they can confide in if they are worried about an online experience or are feeling unsafe.”
Detective Acting Inspector Penrose of the Gold Coast Child Protection and Investigation Unit said detectives will continue to work closely with Argos to protect children on the Gold Coast.
“The exploitation of children is a scourge in our society, and we will continue to take proactive measures to identify those who seek to engage in the exploitation of children”.
Resources and advice
- eSafety Commissioner a key partner of the QPS in enhancing online safety, with a comprehensive suite of information, resources and reporting tools to ensure children have a safe experience online.
- Who’s chatting to your kids? Further QPS advice and information about reducing online risks for children.
- Out of the dark #doiknowu a campaign by the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) supported by the QPS and Department of Education, providing resources to help young people stay safe online.
- Think U Know is a partnership between Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth Bank, Datacom, Microsoft, State and Territory Police and Neighbourhood Watch. It provides information on topics including sexting, cyber bullying, online child exploitation, online privacy, and what to do when something goes wrong.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
