This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police
A 18-year-old man is expected to face Perth Magistrates Court today (13 June 2022) charged with possessing, sharing and transmitting images and videos of young girls online.
The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) charged the man on 23 May 2022 following a search warrant at his residence in the South-West Region of WA.
A forensic examination of a phone located at his home allegedly contained child abuse material (CAM). The investigation was a result of a report received from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) in March 2022.
The report identified an online user believed to be in WA had previously uploaded child abuse material online, subsequent investigations identified continued uploads to a number of online social media platforms – investigators linked the 18-year-old to the associated accounts.
AFP Detective Sergeant Ross Hinscliff said this arrest was another reminder of the commitment undertaken by the AFP and its partners to protect children and identify and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit and harm them.
“Anyone who produces or shares child abuse material is part of the problem, it is they who create the market for child abuse material online, which causes further harm to our community’s most vulnerable – our children”.
The man will face court today charged with:
- 1 x possession of child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- 1 x used a carriage service to cause material, the material being child abuse material, in the form of data held in a data storage device, to be transmitted to himself contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
- 1 x used a carriage service to cause to transmit material, the material being child abuse material, in the form of data held in a data storage device, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.
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.
