A Central Queensland man has been arrested and charged with alleged indecent treatment of a child and possessing more than one thousand child abuse images, including allegedly some of children known to him.
The Brisbane Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) charged the man, 53, on 7 February, 2024, after a referral from the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), relating to the upload of child abuse material to a secure messaging platform.
Brisbane JACET allegedly identified the user as the Central Queensland man.
Police executed a search warrant at the man's home on Wednesday (7 February, 2024), where they located and seized multiple electronic devices.
Initial examination of the devices allegedly found more than 1000 files containing child abuse material, as well as a record of a sexualised online chat with a 14-year-old girl.
It is alleged some of the images were of children the man knows.
Police have identified the children and is providing them and their family with support.
AFP Detective Inspector Mary Bolton said the abuse and exploitation of children stole their innocence and caused lifelong trauma.
"Every child deserves to feel safe and the AFP and its partners will do whatever we can to protect children," she said.
"If you take part in this abhorrent trade in innocent lives be warned that everything you do online leaves a trace and we won't stop until we find you and bring you to justice."
The man was charged with:
- One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of using a carriage service to possess child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication, contrary to section 474.27A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of indecent treatment of a child under 16, contrary to section 10 of the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld)
The maximum penalty for the child abuse material offences is 15 years' imprisonment. The maximum penalty for the indecent treatment offence is 14 years' imprisonment.
The man was released on strict bail conditions and will next appear in court on 28 March, 2024.
Members of the ACCCE and the AFP's Digital Forensics Team assisted Brisbane JACET during the operation.
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 are urged to contact the ACCCE at www.accce.gov.au/report. 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 at www.accce.gov.au/support.
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 www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
