A Northern Territory man is expected to appear in Darwin Local Court today (8 July, 2025) after being charged with alleged online child abuse offences, including producing and possessing sexually explicit images.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Darwin Airport identified the man, 65, and selected him for a baggage examination when he arrived on an international flight on 19 April, 2025.
The ABF officers then located and seized a mobile device, camera and tablet allegedly containing child abuse material.
ABF officers alerted Northern Territory Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NT JACET) investigators, who attended the airport and questioned the man.
NT JACET, comprising officers from AFP and Northern Territory Police, seized the man's electronic devices for forensic review and the examination allegedly identified dozens of sexually explicit images of young children. The man was charged on 19 April, 2025, with the following offences:
- Two counts of possessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- One count of producing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.23(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each of these offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
The man initially appeared in court on 22 April, 2025, and was bailed to reappear today (8 July, 2025).
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the cooperation between the NT JACET and other partners, including ABF, drove a powerful enforcement and disruption approach to child abuse offending.
"Sexual exploitation and abuse have extremely harmful and lifelong impacts on victims," Supt Davis said.
"Our dedicated investigators are committed to protecting children and will track alleged offenders wherever they may be and bring them before the courts."
NT Police Force Detective Senior Sergeant Toby Wilson said offending against children was abhorrent in any form and would not be tolerated.
"We remain relentless in our efforts to detect, investigate and disrupt this type of offending," Det Sen Sgt Wilson said.
"We will continue to work with our partners to ensure children are protected and offenders are prosecuted."
Australian Border Force Commander Tracie Griffin said the detection highlighted the crucial frontline role ABF officers played in protecting the community from serious criminal threats.
"ABF officers are highly trained to identify indicators of potential criminal activity, even during routine border processing," Commander Griffin said.
"The vigilance and professionalism of our officers at Darwin Airport directly contributed to the disruption of an alleged serious child abuse offender. The hard work of our officers ensures people who attempt to exploit children are identified by the time they reach the border and then face the full force of the law.
"Preventing child exploitation is a national priority, and this case shows the important role our frontline officers play in safeguarding vulnerable members of our community."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (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.
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.