The Northern Territory Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NT JACET) has charged a Darwin man with possessing and transmitting child abuse material after investigating reports from a South Australian resident alleging they received online child abuse material.
Police will allege the man engaged in illegal online activity, which extended to unsolicited material being sent to residents in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria.
NT JACET, comprising AFP and Northern Territory Police, executed a search warrant at the man's Darwin home on 8 December, 2023. Investigators seized electronic devices including two mobile phones allegedly containing child abuse material and records of sexualised communications.
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said anyone who possessed, accessed or transmitted child abuse material perpetuated the abuse of children and would be prosecuted.
"The children shown in these images are vulnerable people that need to be protected, not used for the gratification of predators," Supt Davis said.
The man, 31, was charged on 8 December, 2023 with:
- One count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
- Five counts of transmitting child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22 (1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each of these offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
The man appeared in the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday (12 December, 2023) and is next expected to face court on 20 February, 2024.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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 at www.accce.gov.au/report. 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 at www.accce.gov.au/support.
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 www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
