A Darwin man was sentenced to a maximum of six years' imprisonment by the Darwin Supreme Court yesterday (Friday, 13 September, 2024) for a range of child abuse offences, including the possession of sexually explicit images of toddlers.
The man, 41, pleaded guilty to a total of 11 offences, including producing, accessing and possessing child abuse material, after a Northern Territory Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (NT JACET) investigation.
The man, 41, will be eligible for parole on 5 April 2027, after already serving 12 months imprisonment.
The NT JACET investigation into the man began in 2023, after the AFP received 49 reports from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user in the Northern Territory sending child abuse material via social media.
The NT JACET, comprising investigators from AFP and Northern Territory Police, linked the man to the online offending. Police located more than 5000 images of toddlers and young victims stored on the man's SD card and mobile devices.
He was arrested and charged by AFP officers in September 2023.
The man pleaded guilty to the following offences in June 2024:
- Five counts of possessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One counts of failing to comply with s 3LA order, contrary to section 3LA(6)
- Crimes Act 1914 (Cth);
- Four counts of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of producing child abuse material, contrary to section 125B Criminal Code 1983 (NT).
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the creation, sharing and possession of child abuse material was abhorrent and had long-lasting impacts on the lives of victimised children.
"The AFP is working tirelessly with our state, territory, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners to protect children - no matter where they live," Supt Davis said.
"The AFP, along with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to fighting child sexual abuse and bringing those who commit these offences before the court.
"Investigations such as this should serve as a serious warning that law enforcement has zero tolerance for child exploitation and child sexual abuse in any form."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child abuse and exploitation, and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (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.
