A South Australian man is expected to face the Elizabeth Magistrates Court today (17 September, 2024) after being charged with allegedly accessing and possessing child abuse material.
The South Australian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (SA JACET), comprising of members from the AFP and South Australia police, charged the man, 32, in June (2024) after an investigation that was started following a report from the Australian Border Force (ABF).
During a separate investigation, ABF officers had allegedly identified child abuse material on several of the man's electronic devices, including a laptop and hard drive. The devices were seized and provided to SA JACET for further examination.
The SA JACET allegedly located numerous videos and images of sexually explicit child abuse material on the devices.
The Edinburgh man was charged with two counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for the offence is 15 years' imprisonment.
The man first appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on 14 August, 2024.
AFP Sergeant Joe Barry said the AFP would continue to work with its local, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners to apprehend offenders who posed a risk to children.
"This is not a victimless crime. Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators,'' Sgt Barry said.
"Our message to online offenders has not changed - if you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, we will find you, and you will be prosecuted."
ABF Inspector Steve Garden said professionally trained Border Force officers remain alert to travellers arriving in Australia importing child abuse material.
"These materials have a profound and long-lasting impacts on the lives of victimised children, and ABF officers are dedicated to identifying and prosecuting these serious criminal offences," Inspector Garden said.
"Once detected, ABF liaise closely with our AFP partners to ensure thorough investigations are undertaken and alleged offenders appear before the Courts."
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 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.
