Victorian man charged with allegedly soliciting and possessing child abuse material

A Victorian man has appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court today (10 September, 2024), charged with allegedly soliciting and possessing child abuse material.

AFP Eastern Command Child Protection Operations officers arrested and charged the man at Sydney Airport yesterday (9 September, 2024) after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly found child abuse material on the man's mobile phone.

The man, 26, arrived in Australia on a flight from Canada yesterday morning and was selected for a baggage examination by ABF officers. During this examination, officers discovered the alleged child abuse material and online conversations in which the man allegedly solicited child abuse material.

The matter was then referred to the AFP. The man was charged with:

• One count of soliciting child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iv) of Criminal Code (Cth); and

• One count of possess child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A of Criminal Code (Cth).

The maximum penalty for the offences is 15 years' imprisonment.

The man appeared at Downing Centre Local Court today (10 September, 2024) where he was formally refused bail. Heis scheduled to reappear at the same court on 6 November, 2024.

AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Fogarty said the AFP worked closely with both domestic and international partners to help protect Australian children.

"Our message to offenders has not changed - if you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted," Det. Supt Fogarty said.

"The shared goal of law enforcement is to protect children, wherever they live, and to ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts."

ABF Acting Superintendent Andrew Snook said ABF officers work diligently at the front line of Australia's border to protect children, both here and overseas, from child abuse and exploitation.

"We utilise several targeting techniques and intelligence to identify passengers who may be in possession of child abuse material," A/Supt Snook said.

"We must work with our law enforcement partners to protect children and remove them from potential harm."

About the ACCCE

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. 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.

For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what is online child sexual exploitation and how to report it visit the ACCCE website.

Note to media

Use of term 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL not 'CHILD PORNOGRAPHY'

The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material - the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.

Use of the phrase 'child pornography' is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:

• indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
• conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.

Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.