A Northern Territory man is scheduled to appear in Darwin Local Court today (24 February, 2026) charged with allegedly possessing online child abuse material and grooming offences.
A Northern Territory Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NT JACET) investigation began in November, 2025, after officers investigated reports from national law enforcement partners about an online user allegedly encouraging minors to self-produce child abuse material that he then allegedly purchased.
NT JACET, comprising officers from the AFP and Northern Territory Police, allegedly linked the man, 24, to the offending and executed a search warrant yesterday (23 February, 2026) at a Karama home.
Officers found two mobile phones allegedly containing child abuse material, along with messages to minors encouraging them to sell sexually explicit videos of themselves. These devices were seized for further forensic analysis.
The man was charged with:
- One count of possessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- Two counts of using a carriage service to procure persons under 16 years of age, contrary to section 474.26(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for these offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Pixie Fuhrmeister praised the commitment of NT JACET and the collaborative partnerships with national and international law enforcement agencies.
"The AFP and its law enforcement partners will never stop fighting to bring online predators to justice and protect children from these horrific crimes," Det a/Supt Fuhrmeister said.
"For those who seek to harm our vulnerable young people, there is nowhere to hide."
NT Police Force Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Mark Cronin said the exploitation of children was one of the most serious and confronting crimes police investigate.
"It causes lasting harm to the young victims, their families, and the wider community," Det a/Snr Sgt Cronin said.
"The NTPF, alongside the Australia Federal Police, will continue to use every available resource to identify, charge and bring before the courts anyone involved in exploiting children."
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.
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.
