A 61-year-old Brisbane man appeared in Brisbane District Court today (3 June 2022) charged with uploading child abuse material via a social media platform.
The man was identified in an investigation launched in July 2021 after the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) Child Protection Triage Unit (CPTU) received reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an Australian user uploading child abuse material via Facebook Messenger.
Investigators from the AFP Brisbane Child Protection Operations Team allegedly linked the 61-year-old Thorneside man to the account and executed a search warrant on him in March 2022.
Police seized a mobile phone and tablet from the man, and it will be alleged that both devices were examined and found to contain child abuse material.
AFP Detective Inspector Child Protection Operations, Kurt Wesche said the AFP's expertise stands ready to protect children from online harms, regardless of where they may be located.
"Our investigators are dedicated to protecting children in Australia from abuse and work closely with our international partners to do the same," he said.
"Our message to offenders accessing or sharing child abuse material online is that we will never stop investigating anyone responsible for spreading this abhorrent material, and we are committed to bringing them before court to answer for their criminal actions."
The man has been charged with:
- Possession of child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- Accessing child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
The man faces a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment for each offence, if convicted. He is next scheduled to appear in court on 5 August 2022.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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 and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety.
An award-winning podcast launched last year by the ACCCE 'Closing The Net' is working to change that, showcasing that knowledge is power and that our only chance to help prevent this issue is if we bring a 'whole-of-community' response.
The podcast series offers valuable tips and advice on how to keep kids safe online. Listen to the Closing The Net podcast on your favourite streaming platform.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
