A Central Coast man was sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment by the Gosford District Court yesterday (28 August, 2024) for possessing child abuse material.
The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 2022 regarding an online user uploading child abuse material onto Google Drive. An investigation by the AFP found the user was based on the Central Coast.
AFP and NSW Police Force officers executed a search warrant at the man's Gwandalan home in July 2022, with officers seizing a USB and SD card containing child abuse material involving prepubescent females. The man was subsequently arrested and charged by the AFP.
The man, 39, pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) in July, 2022.
He was sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment at the Gosford District Court yesterday (28 August, 2024), and will be released on 11 November, 2024, having been remanded in custody since 12 July, 2024.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said possessing child abuse material was not a victimless crime.
"To those thinking of obtaining this material, know that you are retraumatising victims and supporting a vile industry, and you will eventually be caught," Detective Superintendent Fogarty said.
"The AFP and its partners continue to work around the clock to identify and prosecute those responsible for committing these abhorrent crimes against children."
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.
