A West Australian man, 21, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for producing, possessing or transmitting almost 2000 child abuse videos and images, including files showing toddler children being sexually abused.
The man, 21, who also created videos of himself masturbating while in the same room as young children before sending them to other offenders, was sentenced in the Perth District Court today (1 May, 2024). He had previously pleaded guilty to 10 online child abuse charges.
The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) charged the man in May, 2023, after investigating reports from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an Australian-based user transmitting child abuse material on multiple social media platforms.
WA JACET, comprising of AFP and WA Police Force members, executed a search warrant at the man's home in the suburb of Banksia Grove on 1 May, 2023 and seized a mobile phone which contained child abuse material.
A forensic examination of the phone found 146 images and 1193 videos that were child abuse material and showed children being sexually abused or exploited.
Police found the man used social media platforms to access and transmit the material and discuss graphic sexual abuse of children with other users.
The man pleaded guilty on 23 October, 2023 to:
- One count of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
- Three counts of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- Two counts of transmitting child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of causing child abuse material to be transmitted to himself using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) and;
- Three counts of producing child abuse material with the intention that the material be used by himself to commit an offence against section 474.22 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth), contrary to subsection 474.23(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each of the offences is fifteen years' imprisonment.
The man was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years' imprisonment.
AFP Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman said the man's offending was depraved and brazen.
"Some of the children in those images and videos were barely toddlers, it is sickening to think that anyone could derive sexual gratification from seeing young children being abused," Det-Insp Coleman said.
"The AFP and its partners in Australia and overseas won't rest until everyone who contributes to this abhorrent crime is arrested and brought before the courts.
"This result is further evidence that child predators have nowhere to hide."
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.
