A Perth man has been sentenced to three years and four months' imprisonment by the Perth District Court for 13 online child abuse-related offences.
The man, 29, was sentenced last week (4 February, 2025), after pleading guilty to the charges on 12 July, 2024, and will serve a non-parole period of 23 months.
The investigation began in early 2024 after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers inspected the man's baggage after he arrived at Perth Airport on an international flight.
During the inspection, ABF officers identified child abuse material on the man's mobile phone and immediately alerted the AFP.
The AFP forensically examined the man's phone and identified 13 offences, including that he engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with a child.
On 4 April, 2024, the Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) conducted a bail check on the man and investigators found he had been using a new phone to search for child abuse material online.
The man pleaded guilty to the following charges:
One count of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to subsection 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Four counts of transmitting child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to subsection 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Three counts of causing child abuse material to be transmitted to himself using a carriage service, contrary to subsection 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Four counts of soliciting child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to subsection 474.22(1)(a)(iv) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
One count of grooming a person under 16 years of age using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.27 of the Criminal Code (Cth).
AFP Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman said the AFP worked closely with both domestic and international partners to help protect children wherever they lived.
"We are united in the fight to bring those who victimise children for their own abhorrent gratification before the court," Det-Insp Coleman said.
"Our investigators are relentless in their pursuit of anyone procuring, sharing or accessing child abuse material and this matter is another example of the AFP's commitment to prosecuting anyone involved in the harm of children."
ABF Acting Superintendent Dean Simpson said ABF officers were often the first line of defence in combatting the scourge of child abuse material and its proliferation.
"This case demonstrates that when we find child abuse material on passengers' electronic devices we will act swiftly with our law enforcement partners to ensure those responsible are held to account," a/Supt Simpson said.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse, with the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (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.
