A 59-year-old man has been charged with child sex and weapons offences following an investigation into the possession and distribution of child exploitation material.
Detectives from Argos and Toogoolawah Police Station executed a search warrant at an Ivory Creek residence yesterday and will allege the man was in possession of a quantity of child exploitation material depicting the sexual abuse of babies and toddlers. During the search Police also located five unsecured firearms, one of which was unregistered.
The 59-year-old man was charged with four counts of the possession of child exploitation material, one count of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material, five counts of failure to secure weapons and one count of the unlawful possession of a Category D weapon. He has been released on strict bail conditions and is due to appear at the Toogoolawah Magistrates Court on 3 May 2022.
Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of the Child Abuse and Sexual Crime Group's unit Argos said this case highlights the tenacity of the QPS in targeting child sex offenders.
"This is not a victimless crime. These images have been created through the abuse of real children and anyone involved in possessing or distributing these images continues this cycle of victimisation," Detective Inspector Donaldson said.
"Every day Argos has undercover officers working in a range of online platforms to detect and apprehend people who seek to trade in these horrific images."
"To those that seek to engage in this predatory behaviour, remember that everything you do online leaves a trace and the QPS are relentless in targeting anyone involved in this crime."
Resources and advice
- eSafety Commissioner a key partner of the QPS in enhancing online safety, with a comprehensive suite of information, resources and reporting tools to ensure children have a safe experience online.
- Who's chatting to your kids? Further QPS advice and information about reducing online risks for children.
- Out of the dark #doiknowu a campaign by the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) supported by the QPS and Department of Education, providing resources to help young people stay safe online.
- Think U Know is a partnership between Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth Bank, Datacom, Microsoft, State and Territory Police and Neighbourhood Watch. It provides information on topics including sexting, cyber bullying, online child exploitation, online privacy, and what to do when something goes wrong.
