The arrest of an Australian man in January 2023 and the assistance of the AFP's International Network has helped Philippine authorities identify and charge a man with offences related to the alleged abuse of 111 children in the Philippines.
A Philippine national, 32, was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Manila last month (September, 2024) and charged with multiple counts of statutory rape, people trafficking and offences contrary to the Philippines Anti-Online Sexual Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Materials Act.
The Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre (PICACC) has also advised its partners - including the AFP - that Philippine authorities have removed 28 children from harm as part of this matter.
The PICACC was jointly established in 2019 by the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine National Bureau of Investigation, the AFP, UK National Crime Agency and the International Justice Mission. In 2021, Netherlands Police also joined the PICACC.
The PNP investigation began after the AFP charged a Queensland man, now 58, at Sydney International Airport on 7 January 2023 upon his return home from the Philippines.
The man's phone allegedly contained child abuse material and messages discussing the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines. The AFP charged the man with three offences, alleging he was communicating with an unknown person while attempting to pay to gain access to female children in the Philippines.
Subsequent PNP investigations identified a Philippine national living in the UAE as the primary suspect in facilitating the abuse of children for payment from overseas-based offenders. The PNP raised an INTERPOL red notice to enable an arrest at an appropriate time.
AFP members in Manila then worked with AFP liaison officers in Dubai to facilitate initial engagement between Philippine authorities and the UAE Ministry of Interior about potential extradition processes between the two countries.
It will be alleged in a Philippines court that the man was the leader of a syndicate which has raped and abused at least 111 reported victims, aged between nine and 11 years old, and selling child abuse material to at least 19 people from 10 different countries via encrypted applications.
AFP Assistant Commissioner David McLean praised the tenacity of Philippine investigators.
"Our colleagues at the Philippine National Police deserve praise for their sustained efforts to track down this alleged offender and bring him to account for these horrible criminal accusations," he said.
"The AFP provided evidence and intelligence we obtained from the arrest of an Australian man in January 2023, but we could not identify the people he was communicating with in the Philippines. The PNP's determination to identify this alleged perpetrator and the child victims highlights the importance of international partnerships in child abuse investigations.
"The ability of law enforcement to work together anywhere in the world through INTERPOL and other established liaison channels means there are very few hiding places for people who choose to abuse and exploit children.
"The AFP is steadfast in its resolve to protect children around the world, and a key part of that is doing whatever we can - either directly or by helping our partner agencies - to ensure predators are not in a position to continue their awful abuse."
Philippine National Police Chief of the Women and Children Protection Centre, Police General Brigadier Portia Manalad, foreshadowed ongoing work to identify any further victims.
"This investigation, and the rescue of 28 child victims to date, would not have been able to occur without the ongoing collaboration between AFP Manila and the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Centre," she said.
"Whilst the arrest of this man is significant, the PNP will continue to try and identify and locate further victims to rescue from harm."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the AFP-led 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.
