Western Australian man charged with online child abuse

This is a joint press release from the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Protection.

A Western Australian man is expected to appear in Perth District Court today (6 September 2024) charged with four offences of online child abuse.

The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) arrested and charged the 26-year-old man last week (30 August 2024) after receiving a report from the Australian Border Force (ABF) about a user accessing and sending child abuse material online.

On 8 April 2024, ABF officers at Perth Airport allegedly found child abuse material on the man’s mobile phone after he landed on a flight from Denpasar, Bali. This included alleged evidence of child abuse material that had been requested by the man via a messaging app. The matter was subsequently referred to the WA JACET team.

Officers from the ABF and WA JACET, which includes members of the AFP and Western Australia Police, are said to have linked the man to the illegal online activities.

An investigation into the Welshpool man’s electronic devices revealed suspected child abuse material.

The man was accused of:

• One count of obtaining access to child abuse material through a transportation service, in violation of section 474.22(1)(a)(i) Criminal Code (Cth);
• One count of transmitting child abuse material by means of a transmission service, in violation of section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) Criminal Code (Cth);
• One count of causing the transmission of child abuse material by a transportation service, in violation of section 474.22(1) Criminal Code (Cth); and
• One count of Possession of Child Abuse Material Obtained or Obtained through a Transportation Service, in violation of Section 474.22A Criminal Code (Cth).

The maximum penalty for these offences is 15 years in prison.

AFP Detective Sergeant Andrea Coleman said the AFP works closely with both domestic and international partners, such as ABF, to protect Australian children.

“Our detectives work tirelessly to identify offenders so they can be prosecuted,” said Detective Coleman.

“Our message to online criminals has not changed: if you collect, access and send child abuse material, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted.”

Vesna Gavranich, Superintendent Aviation Operations at ABF, said ABF officers work tirelessly on the frontline of the Australian border at international airports to protect children, both here and overseas, from child abuse and exploitation.

“We use a range of intelligence, targeting and profiling techniques to target passengers who may be carrying child abuse material on electronic devices. When this is discovered, we work with our law enforcement partners to take decisive action,” said Superintendent Gavranich.

The AFP and its partners are committed to ending child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) promotes a collaborative national approach to combating child abuse.

The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supports investigations into online child sexual exploitation and develops prevention strategies aimed at 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 of any current abuse or a child at risk, call the police immediately on 000.

If you or someone you know is experiencing child sexual abuse and online exploitation, there is support available.

Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed that only around half of parents talked to their children about online safety. Advice and support for parents and carers on how to help protect children online can be found on the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led educational programme designed to prevent child sexual exploitation online.

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

Note to the media

Use of the term ‘CHILD ABUSE’ MATERIAL and not ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’

The correct legal term is ‘child abuse material’. The move to this wording was one of a series of changes to Commonwealth law in 2019 to more accurately reflect the seriousness of the crimes and the harm caused to victims.

The use of the term “child pornography” is incorrect and benefits child abusers because it:

• indicates legitimacy and cooperation on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
• conjures up images of children posing in ‘provocative’ poses, rather than being horribly abused.

Each photo or video captures an actual situation in which a child has been abused.