WA man charged with five online child abuse related offences

This is a joint release between Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police Force.

A man, 20, is expected to face a Perth court today (15 July, 2022) after being charged by the Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET).

The Attadale man has been charged with five offences, including possessing and sharing child abuse material and other obscene content.

An investigation started after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about child abuse material being uploaded to an online chat platform.

Police allegedly linked the Attadale man to the illegal online activity.

A search warrant was executed at his home on 30 June (2022) and investigators allegedly found child abuse material and other evidence on electronic devices. The digital devices will now be subject to further forensic examination.

AFP Leading Senior Constable Kevin Shaw, from WA JACET, said the AFP, together with its partners, remained committed to protecting children.

“Anyone who views this material is committing a crime,” Leading Senior Constable Shaw said. “Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators.

“Our message to online offenders has not changed – if you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, you will be identified and prosecuted.”

The man is due to appear in Perth Magistrate’s Court charged with:

  • Possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995(Cth);
  • Two counts of transmission of child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 (1)(iii) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
  • Using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code Act 1995(Cth); and
  • Possessing obscene material, contrary to section 59(5) of the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1996 WA.

The maximum penalty for the online child abuse offences is 15 years’ imprisonment, while the penalty for possessing obscene material is $5000.

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 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.

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