A Bangladeshi national has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the Northern Territory for possessing videos and images of children being abused.
The man, 28, was sentenced yesterday (25 May, 2023) in the Darwin Supreme Court after pleading guilty to seven offences.
The investigation into the man's activities began when 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 a person travelling to Australia who allegedly possessed child abuse material.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers in Darwin stopped the man for a baggage examination when he arrived on an international flight on 5 September, 2022.
During the examination, ABF officers found dozens of child abuse files on the man's mobile phone, laptop and SIM card.
The matter was then referred to the NT Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NT JACET), which comprises AFP and Northern Territory Police Force officers, for further investigation.
The man was charged with and later pleaded guilty to seven child abuse-related offences:
- One count of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- Two counts of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- One count of obtaining child abuse material outside of Australia, contrary to section 273.6(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- Two counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of providing false information for a serious offence, contrary to section 3LA(6) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth).
The man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of one year and six months. After serving his sentence, the man will be deported back to Bangladesh.
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said one media file containing child abuse material was one too many.
"It is paramount the AFP continues to work closely with its law enforcement partners in Australia and offshore to identify alleged offenders and hold them accountable for their actions," he said.
"The AFP remains committed to targeting and identifying those who seek to harm children. We want to remind offenders that there are consequences for supporting this abhorrent industry, which includes 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 are urged to contact the ACCCE at www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety. 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.
