A Glenmore Park man who faced Penrith Local Court yesterday charged with three online child abuse-related offences was refused bail.
Following intelligence-led screening, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers identified the 46-year-old man and examined his luggage when he arrived in Sydney on an international flight from Hong Kong earlier this month.
ABF officers located alleged child abuse material and sexualised conversations with minors on his electronic devices. The matter was reported to the AFP for investigation.
The AFP Child Protection Operations team, assisted by ABF Regional Investigations NSW, executed a search warrant at the man's Western Sydney home yesterday (28 October, 2025) and seized an additional phone, which will be forensically examined.
The AFP charged the man with:
- One count of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under 16 years of age, contrary to subsection 474.27A of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- One count of possess, or control child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each of these offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
The man is scheduled to reappear before court on 19 December, 2025.
AFP Detective Superintendent Luke Needham said every action online was traceable and the AFP and its partners remained fiercely committed to the protection of children from online harm.
"The children these offenders engage with need to be protected and not used for the gratification of predators," Det Supt Needham said.
"The AFP will not hesitate to arrest and charge those involved at any level in the illicit trade of these abhorrent images."
ABF Superintendent Elke West said digital examinations are a vital part of an ABF officer's daily targeting and profiling.
"Virtually all passengers carry a smartphone these days, and our officers are increasingly seeing travellers attempt to bring in abhorrent material digitally, sometimes attempting to conceal their offending through encrypted or hidden apps," Supt West said.
"We use a range of intelligence-led screening and profiling techniques to target passengers who might be carrying child abuse material on electronic devices, and will act decisively with our law enforcement partners when it is detected.
"Tackling child abuse is an important part of the ABF's role in protecting Australia from individuals who may pose a threat to the community.
"Each intercepted piece of child abuse material helps remove children from harm, both here and overseas."
About the ACCCE
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety. 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.
