A 71-year-old Redbank Plains man has been charged with child sex offences following investigations by Argos.
The man was taken into custody yesterday afternoon when it is alleged he attended a Brisbane commercial address to meet what he believed was a school aged girl.
Instead, he was met by detectives from Argos and taken into custody.
It will be alleged the man utilised an online chat forum to speak with the 'child', sending photographs of himself naked and engaging in behaviour police will allege constitute grooming.
Police will allege his behaviour escalated to having the 'child' meet him for sex at the location, including bringing gifts, which were seized at the scene.
Detectives executed a search warrant at the man's home, where it will be alleged child exploitation material was located.
The 71-year-old man has been charged with two counts of grooming children under 16 years (expose to indecent matter) and one count each of use internet to procure child under 16 and intentionally meet, and possessing child exploitation material.
His bail was refused, and he appeared before Brisbane Magistrates Court on May 26 where he was released on bail conditions to reappear on June 5.
Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of the Child Abuse and Sexual Crime Group's unit Argos, said undercover officers are working around the clock online to detect and apprehend those who seek to harm children in our communities.
"Every day, day and night - to those predators, expect the next 'child' you message, to be a member of Argos," Detective Inspector Donaldson said.
"This arrest is a reminder to parents of the dangers of online predators, and how crucial caregivers and trusted loved ones are in teaching children about online safety,"
"Young people need to believe that nothing is too embarrassing or serious that they can't come to you for support, advice or to report behaviour that makes them uncomfortable,"
"Supervision and communication are crucial to prevention - have the conversation with your children about how to stay safe online and the dangers of engaging with online 'friends' who they have never met face-to-face,"
"Even if an app tells you a social media picture 'disappears', everything you do online leaves a footprint and could be seen by people and predators across the world,"
"Our number one priority is ensuring the safety of children, if you encounter suspicious or inappropriate behaviour towards a child online, we urge you to report it immediately," Detective Inspector Donaldson said.
Vision:
Interview:
Resources:
- eSafety Commissioner a key partner of the QPS in enhancing online safety, with a comprehensive suite of information, resources and reporting tools to ensure children have a safe experience online.
- Who's chatting to your kids? Further QPS advice and information about reducing online risks for children.
- Out of the dark #doiknowu a campaign by the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) supported by the QPS and Department of Education, providing resources to help young people stay safe online.
- Think U Know is a partnership between Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth Bank, Datacom, Microsoft, State and Territory Police and Neighbourhood Watch. It provides information on topics including sexting, cyber bullying, online child exploitation, online privacy, and what to do when something goes wrong.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
