Detectives from Argos have charged a 51-year-old man with one count each of possessing child exploitation material and use carriage service for child abuse material.
The man was arrested on Wednesday, September 7 following the execution of a search warrant in Lawnton. It will be alleged the man was found to be in possession of child exploitation material relating to the abuse of children.
He has been remanded in custody to next appear in the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on November 14.
In addition to the arrest of a 51-year-old man on Wednesday, Argos investigators executed a number of separate search warrants on people engaged in the alleged possession and distribution of child exploitation material. Investigations, including digital evidence examinations, are continuing.
Every day Argos has undercover officers working in a range of online platforms to detect and apprehend people who seek to exploit children in our community.
A priority of the Queensland Police Service is the prevention and proactive detection of the online exploitation of children. To help achieve this goal, the QPS works in partnership with the community, child protection services and national and international law enforcement agencies.
This week marks the annual Child Protection Week with the theme "Protecting children is everybody's business".
The responsibility of protecting children lies with adults in keeping children safe from harm. All members of society need to play a part in ensuring children are nurtured and safe and have an adult they can seek support from.
Parents, carers, professionals and community members all need to hear what children say and seek advice in ensuring they respond appropriately to children when they speak out about abuse or feeling unsafe.
Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of Argos said that despite everything we know about online safety, children continue to engage in unsafe practices such as engaging with strangers and sending intimate images of themselves.
"Research by the Commonwealth eSafety Commissioner has identified that 1 in 4 children have been approached by a stranger online. This is extremely concerning and highlights the need for parents to be aware of their child's online footprint and to speak with their child about online safety.
"Supervision is the key to prevention, as is ongoing communication with children about how to stay safe online and the dangers of having online 'friends' they have never met face-to-face.
"Parents seeking support in educating themselves about online safety are urged to visit the fantastic resources of the eSafety Commissioner and the Queensland Family and Child Commission. These resources help parents start the conversation about online safety and what children can do when they feel unsafe and how to make the right decisions about their digital footprint", Detective Inspector Donaldson said.
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.
