Detectives from Argos have charged a 54-year-old man with one count of possessing child exploitation material (CEM), three counts of soliciting child abuse material by using a carriage service, one count of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia, and one count of grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside of Australia.
The man was arrested on Tuesday evening, August 27, following the execution of a search warrant in Pimpama.
It will be alleged the man was found to be in possession of CEM and using encrypted messaging applications to groom children in the Philippines for sexual activity.
The man is an employee of the Department of Education linked to a school on the Gold Coast. There are no allegations that the man's offending is related to his employment and no indications at this time that any children at the school have been victimised.
The investigation stemmed from a joint investigation between the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the Australian Federal Police led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
The man was refused police bail and remanded in custody to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court on today, August 28.
Investigations by Argos into the full extent of the alleged offending are ongoing.
The Department of Education is supporting the police investigation and providing ongoing support to the school community.
A priority of the QPS is the prevention and proactive detection of the online exploitation of children, whether in Australia or anywhere in the world. To help achieve this goal, the QPS works in partnership with the community, child protection services and national and international law enforcement agencies.
Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of Argos said that everyday Argos and the AFP work collaboratively together at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) to target high harm offenders operating on a range of online platforms.
"The issue of Live Online Child Sexual Abuse (LOCSA) of vulnerable children across the world is a significant concern and remains a targeting priority of law enforcement across Australia.
"This arrest highlights the Queensland Police commitment to protecting vulnerable children and bringing perpetrators of these disturbing crimes to justice.
"Law enforcement continue to share intelligence on a daily basis, working together to identify those who seek to hide on platforms they believe make them anonymous.
"Everything you do online leaves a trace, and our detectives will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to identify and prosecute offenders".
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Hayden Wells said the result was a great example of law enforcement working together to protect children.
"This arrest is a testament to the joint effort of the ACCCE Operations Development and Disruption Unit, Intelligence Fusion Cell, and the QPS, who all work tirelessly to identify, pursue and prosecute those involved in child exploitation".
Resources and advice
- Who's chatting to your kids? Further QPS advice and information about reducing online risks for children.
- Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) 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.
- 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.
- 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.
