A 59-year-old Ringwood man has been jailed for a maximum of five years, after accessing explicit images of underage children and participating in inappropriate conversations with minors online.
The man faced the Melbourne County Court today (Thursday 17 December, 2020), following a Victorian Joint-Anti Child Exploitation Team (VIC JACET) investigation.
The man was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of three years.
Investigators arrested the man upon his arrival at Melbourne International Airport on 19 December, 2019.
The VIC JACET charged the man with thirteen offences relating to obtaining child abuse material, including offences relating to obtaining material outside of Australia.
The man was convicted after the court heard that the man had procured explicit images of underage children while participating in inappropriate online conversations with minors using his mobile phone.
The man was sentenced in relation to the following charges:
- 1 count of use carriage service to solicit child pornography material contrary to section 474.19 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth),
- 2 counts of obtain child pornography material while outside Australia (this is the charge for anything before 21 September 2019), contrary to section 273.5(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth),
- 7 counts of obtain child abuse material outside Australia contrary to section 273.6(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth),
- 1 count of Aggravated offence of obtain child abuse material outside Australia contrary to section 273.7(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth),
- 1 count of Distribute child abuse material outside Australia contrary to section 273.6(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth),
- 1 count of possess or control child abuse material using a carriage service contrary to section 474.22A (1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The VIC JACET comprises of officers from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police.
The Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Teams across the country are Australia's frontline in tackling, disrupting and prosecuting this insidious industry that causes significant harm to the most vulnerable in our community - our children. The JACET's reach is far and wide and extends to actions of Australians outside of Australia for those that seek to travel to do harm.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
