The AFP has charged a Western Sydney man, 33, with allegedly abusing a child to produce child abuse material.
The AFP Child Protection Operations team charged the man on Friday, 13 September, 2024, after executing a search warrant at his Kingswood home.
Police allegedly identified the man following a report from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an Australian user transmitting child abuse material online.
The AFP will allege the man abused a child known to him and produced and uploaded child abuse material to online forums.
The man was arrested and charged with:
- Four counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 years to make child abuse material, contrary to section 91G(3) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW);
- One count of sexually touching a child under 10, contrary to section 66DA(a) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW); and
- One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalties for the offences are 20 years, 16 years and 15 years' imprisonment respectively.
The man did not apply for bail when he appeared in the Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, 14 September, and was remanded in custody until his next appearance at Penrith Local Court on 8 November, 2024.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said producing child abuse material was an abhorrent crime.
"These children are real people and not commodities to be used for the grotesque gratification of predators," Det-Supt Fogarty said.
"The AFP, together with its state and territory law enforcement partners, remains committed to protecting our community's most vulnerable."
About the ACCCE
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. 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.
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 the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
