A Queensland man has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment and 16 children in the Philippines have been removed from harm after an international child protection investigation.
The man, 57, was sentenced by the Downing Centre District Court yesterday (12 August, 2024) for two child abuse-related offences, including trying to arrange sexual activity with children in the Philippines.
AFP Eastern Command Child Protection investigators arrested the Mackay man at Sydney International Airport in January 2023, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers found child abuse material on his phone.
ABF officers inspected the man's phone and located messages detailing his intent to pay a facilitator to enable him to sexually abuse children in the Philippines.
The AFP was alerted and began an investigation into his activities and subsequently charged him.
The AFP also shared intelligence gathered during the investigation with the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre (PICACC).
This resulted in further inquiries by the Philippine National Police (PNP), with the support of the AFP and other PICACC members, which led to 16 children being removed from harm in the Philippines.
The man pleaded guilty in February, 2024 to:
- One count of intentionally importing tier 2 goods, being child abuse material, without approval, contrary to section 233BAB(5) of the Customs Act 1901 (Cth);
- One count of preparing/planning to engage in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia, contrary to section 272.20(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and ordered to pay a $2500 fine. The man has been remanded in custody since 30 July, 2023, and will be released on 30 September, 2024, to serve the rest of his sentence in the community under the supervision of a parole officer.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the investigation showed the commitment of police around the world to work together to combat the exploitation and abuse of children.
"Our common goal is to protect children, wherever they live, and to ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts," Det A/Inspector Tsardoulias said.
"This is not a victimless crime. Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators.
"The AFP is working hand-in-glove with its partners here in Australia and abroad to find these offenders and bring them to justice."
ABF Acting Superintendent Andrew Snook said Border Force officers had a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse material.
"There is no place for child abuse material within our community," Acting Superintendent Snook said.
"ABF officers are dedicated to protecting the community and we will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to catch, investigate and prosecute all persons associated with this abhorrent activity."
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief of the Women and Children Protection Centre Police Brigadier General Portia Manalad said the PNP and the AFP worked collaboratively to enable the success of this investigation.
"The sharing of intelligence is vital in arresting perpetrators in both Philippines and Australia," she said.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse 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.
