A Tasmanian man has been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment by the Supreme Court of Tasmania for transmitting, possessing and accessing child abuse material.
The man, 65, was sentenced today (30 August, 2024) after pleading guilty to three child abuse material offences and one offence relating to breach of bail.
The Tasmanian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (TAS JACET), comprising of members from the AFP and Tasmania Police, charged the man after investigating a referral from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in September, 2022, about an online user in Australia transmitting child abuse material.
Police linked the man to the online activity, and he was charged and convicted in the Supreme Court of Tasmania for multiple child abuse related offences and released with conditions in November 2022.
Members from the TAS JACET conducted a bail compliance check at the man's Launceston home on 20 May, 2024, where the man was found in possession of child abuse material.
The man was subsequently arrested and charged by the AFP.
He previously pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- One count of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 (1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of using a carriage service to access child exploitation material contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of contravention of condition of bail, contrary to section 9 of the Bail Act 1994 (Tas).
The man was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of four years and one month.
AFP Detective Acting Sergeant Dannii Campbell said while people may think accessing or sharing child abuse material was harmless, it contributed to the vile industry growing across the globe.
"Accessing child abuse material is not victimless. It's not just a photo or video on the internet. Each frame shows a child having their innocence forcibly taken. In accessing the material, you are complicit in the abuse," Det.Act. Sgt Campbell said.
"We are dedicated to protecting children who do not have the means or mechanism to defend themselves.
"This sentencing outcome should serve as yet another serious warning that law enforcement has zero tolerance for child exploitation and child sexual abuse in any form."
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. 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.
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 the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
