A man was today (16 December 2022) jailed for 16 months’ imprisonment, with a minimum of 3 months to be served for possessing and transmitting child abuse material.
The Ringwood man, 28, who faced the Melbourne County Court after earlier pleading guilty to three charges of transmitting and possessing child abuse material has also been placed on the sex offender registry for life.
The investigation began on 2 December 2021, when the Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET), received information linking the man to child abuse material transmitted via a mobile phone.
Investigators from the Victorian JACET – comprising members from the AFP and Victoria Police executed a search warrant at the man’s Ringwood home on 3 February 2022, where officers located child abuse material on his phone. He was then arrested and charged.
AFP Senior Constable Catherine Kelly said this matter is another reminder of the prevalence of online child abuse.
“Unfortunately, online child abuse material is not rare, and is a focus for the AFP and other law enforcement agencies, she said.
“Parents, caregivers and the community are the first line of defence when it comes to protecting our children. We need you to educate yourself about online safety.”
“Meanwhile, the AFP and other law enforcement agencies will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those preying on children.”
The man pled guilty to:
- Transmitting child abuse material contrary to s474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself contrary to s474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- Possessing child abuse material contrary to s474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each of these offences is 15 years Imprisonment.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (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.
