Queensland Police detectives have charged seven people with 44 child sex offences as part of an extensive investigation codenamed Operation Uniform Amigua.
Officers from the Gateway Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU) including the Whitsunday Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) executed six search warrants across Queensland and other jurisdictions from December 2022.
A 27-year-old man from Aspley was among those arrested.
He was charged with 17 offences in total, including grooming a parent or carer of a child, indecent treatment of a child, using a carriage service to access child abuse material, supplying dangerous drugs, breach of care by inappropriate handling, offence to buy or possess S4 or S8 medicines and possessing child exploitation material.
A 44-year-old Hendra woman has been charged with multiple drug offences, including supplying, and possessing dangerous drugs and utensils (methylamphetamine and cannabis) as well as contravening order necessary to access information stored electronically and offence to buy or possess S4 or S8 medicines.
A 26-year-old North Lakes woman and 29-year-old Jubilee Pocket woman were each charged with indecent treatment of a child and being involved in making and distributing child exploitation material.
As a result of this operation, six children under the age of 10 from Queensland and other jurisdictions are now safe.
Gateway Crime Group Detective Inspector John Mison said the successful operation was largely due to the fantastic collaboration with interstate counterparts.
"An organised network of child sexual abusers has been dismantled through a series of complex investigative strategies which has resulted in six children being rescued," Detective Inpsector Mison said.
"This extensive investigation relied on assistance from other investigative units within Queensland and throughout the country with the network stretching from Central Queensland to the southern states."
"We will continue to work on identifying these types of networks, rescuing children at risk of this offending and taking action against criminals involved in committing these types of heinous offences."
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
