A Wanneroo man has been jailed for two-and-a-half-years for possessing and accessing child abuse material.
The man, 34, was sentenced in Perth District Court on Tuesday (21 January, 2025) after pleading guilty to five counts of accessing and possessing child abuse material.
He was identified after 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 relation to the transmission of child abuse material.
The West Australian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) executed a search warrant and arrested the man at his home on 4 July, 2024. Investigators seized mobile phones and a laptop which contained child abuse material.
AFP Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman said the AFP and state, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners would continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute offenders who preyed on children.
"Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators, and anyone who procures, accesses or transmits child abuse material is committing a crime," Det-Insp Coleman said.
"Images of child abuse cause significant harm to victims and they suffer each time images or videos of their abuse are accessed and shared.
"Parents and carers are encouraged to report suspicious or inappropriate behaviour towards children to the ACCCE - no information is too small or insignificant."
The man pleaded guilty to five charges:
Two counts of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
Three counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
On his release from jail, he will be placed on a 15-month good behaviour order.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse, with the ACCCE driving a collaborative national approach.
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.
