A 31-year-old Macksville man was yesterday (28 September 2022) sentenced in the Port Macquarie District Court to 12 months imprisonment for possession and production of child abuse material.
AFP investigators from Eastern Command charged the man after executing a search warrant at his house on 14 September 2021, where they located and seized a number of devices found to contain child abuse material, including a mobile phone, hard disk drive, SD card and two laptop computers.
The investigation began in February 2021 after the AFP -led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a Kik social media user uploading child abuse material (CAM).
Investigators from the AFP allegedly linked the man to the Kik account.
The man later pleaded guilty to the following offences:
- One count of Possess or control child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to s. 474.22A(1) Criminal Code 1995 (Cth)
- One count of Use child under 14 years to produce child abuse material, contrary to s. 91G(1)(a) Crimes Act (NSW)
The man has been sentenced to a minimum of 15 months.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the ACCCE is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse and exploitation.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual exploitation and abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report. 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 are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
