Darwin man jailed for possession of over 5,000 child abuse images

A man has been sentenced to prison for possessing more than 5,000 images of child abuse, including several sexually explicit images of toddlers.

The 41-year-old Darwin man pleaded guilty to 11 offences, including producing, accessing and possessing child abuse material, and was yesterday sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison.

He will be eligible for parole in April 2027, after already serving a year in prison.

Last year, the investigation began after the Australian Federal Police received 49 reports from the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children about someone in the Northern Territory posting child abuse material on social media.

Both state and federal police were able to link the actions to the 41-year-old man.

According to investigators, more than 5,000 images of toddlers and young victims were found on the man’s mobile devices and SD card.

He was arrested and charged in September last year.

In June this year, the man pleaded guilty to five charges of possessing child abuse material by means of a conveyance service, four charges of obtaining access to child abuse material by means of a conveyance service, one charge of producing child abuse material and one charge of failing to comply with a 3LA order.

According to Greg David, chief of federal law enforcement, creating, sharing and possessing child abuse material is abhorrent and has a lasting impact on the children who are victims of it.

“Investigations like this should serve as a stark warning that law enforcement has zero tolerance for child exploitation and child sexual abuse in any form,” he said.

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