The Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team have charged a 42-year-old man with child abuse material offences.
Around 8am on Sunday 8 March 2026, acting on information from the United States National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Detectives and Federal Agents from the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team intercepted the man as he arrived at a shopping complex in the Palmerston region.
Police executed a conveyance and personal search warrant before he was conveyed by police to his residence in Humpty Doo where additional search warrants were executed.
During the search police uncovered multiple devices which contained child abuse material and encrypted applications.
The man was conveyed to the Palmerston Police Watch House where he was charged with:
- 2 x Possess or control child abuse material
- 2 x Transmit child abuse material
- 2 x Access child abuse material
- 1 x Produce child abuse material
He was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court tomorrow.
Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Sarah Firth said "This offending is completely unacceptable. Children are not commodities to be exploited by sexual predators, and our dedicated team will continue to work with partner agencies to bring those who harm them to justice".
Detective Acting Superintendent Pixie Fuhrmeister said the AFP and its partners are committed to protecting children from online predators.
"Every image, every video is of a real child being abused and subjected to an abhorrent situation that no child should ever have to face," Detective Acting Superintendent Fuhrmeister said.
"Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators."
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or https://crimestoppers.com.au/.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the 'Report Abuse' button at www.accce.gov.au/report.
