A Maroubra man, 20, has been sentenced to a three-year suspended term of imprisonment by Downing Centre Court today (9 September, 2022) for child grooming and child abuse material offences.
The man was charged by AFP Child Protection Operations officers in April, 2021, following information received from a member of the public to South Australia Police about an online user grooming a young girl via Skype.
Investigators from the South Australia Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) linked the Maroubra man to the user details associated with a Skype account.
AFP Constable Rachel Lokugamage said in this case, law enforcement could see a high level of manipulation and intent behind the actions of the man in encouraging a young person to engage in inappropriate activities online.
"We want to make it very clear that behaviour like this will not be accepted or tolerated and action will be taken to ensure that adults who exploit or abuse children are brought before the court," Constable Lokugamage said.
The man pleaded guilty to:
- One count of possess or control child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of use a carriage service to procure persons under 16 years of age, contrary to section 474.26(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- Two counts of use a carriage service for transmitting child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment fully suspended.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation 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.
