The Northern Command Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NC JACET) has charged a Lismore man with the alleged sexual abuse of a young child and child abuse material offences.
The man, 35, is expected to re-appear in Lismore Local Court today (24 July, 2024) after he was remanded in custody during his first court appearance on 16 May, 2024.
Police arrested the man on 15 May, 2024, after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) investigated intelligence sent from INTERPOL about a user sharing child abuse material on an encrypted messaging platform.
Investigators from the ACCCE Operations Development and Disruption Unit allegedly linked the profile to an Australian man, based in the Lismore region of NSW.
Officers from NC JACET, which comprises officers from the AFP and Queensland Police Service, executed a search warrant at the man's home on 15 May, 2024, where they allegedly found child abuse material on a mobile phone. As a result, two children were removed from the location.
The man was charged with:
- Three counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10, contrary to section 66A of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). This carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment;
- Three counts of a sexual act with a child under 10, contrary to section 66BC(a) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). This offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment;
- One count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment; and
- One count of using a carriage service for child abuse material, contrary to section 22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Tim Puchala said the investigation highlighted the importance of the AFP's international network in the fight to protect children.
"The sharing of child abuse material online is a borderless crime, which is why the AFP's international network is vital to detecting offenders and protecting children, wherever they are in the world," Detective Acting Superintendent Tim Puchala said.
"Our investigators will not stop in our work to remove child victims from further harm and break the cycle of abuse."
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.
