A 21-year-old man is scheduled to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court today after the Queensland Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (QLD JACET) charged him with child abuse offences.
Between February and April 2020, the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a number of reports from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States in relation to an online user allegedly uploading child abuse material online.
A 21-year-old man was later identified as the user allegedly uploading the material.
In June 2020, officers from QLD JACET conducted a search warrant at a house in the Brisbane suburb of Wishart.
During a search of the home officers seized a mobile phone, laptop and external hard drive for forensic examination.
The man was arrested and subsequently charged with:
- one count of accessing child abuse material contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
- two counts of possessing child exploitation material, contrary to Section 228D Criminal Code Act 1899 (QLD).
He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.
AFP Child Protection Operations Detective Superintendent Paula Hudson warned those who think uploading child abuse material is a victimless crime.
“If you use or share child abuse material, you are perpetuating the physical and emotional abuse of children, it’s as simple as that,” Detective Superintendent Hudson said.
“That’s why the work of the ACCCE and the AFP is so important, to break the cycle of abuse that this vile material continues.
“Our work with international partners like NCMEC is key to targeting those involved in supporting this horrendous industry and stopping them from causing further harm to children by spreading child abuse material.”
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report.
