A Sydney man has been sentenced to six years' imprisonment by the Penrith District Court today (7 May, 2026) after he shared child abuse material with AFP covert online operatives.
The man, 41, will serve a non-parole period of three years.
The AFP began an investigation in July 2023, after receiving a report about a user of an online dating application sending another user a message indicating an interest in child abuse material.
AFP investigators identified the Sydney man as the user who sent the message.
AFP online operatives began conversing with the man, after which he disclosed his sexual attraction to minors and then shared child abuse material.
A search warrant was executed in the Sydney suburb of Zetland on 26 July, 2023. Police seized multiple electronic devices for further examination after finding child abuse material on a hard drive and mobile phone.
The man plead guilty to the following 14 charges:
- One count of use carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Two counts of use carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Seven counts of use carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of aid and abet another to use carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) with 11.2(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of possess child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of possess bestiality material, contrary to section 547E(2) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW); and
- One count of possess prohibited drug, contrary to section 10(1) of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW).
AFP Detective Superintendent Luke Needham said online environments were not anonymous and predators would be held to account.
"Every instance of child abuse material represents real harm to a real child, and the AFP remains committed to ensuring those responsible are identified and apprehended," Det Supt Needham said.
"Law enforcement agencies have many tools up their sleeves to track predators and their illegal online activity and bring them before the courts.
"This is a warning to any person who thinks engaging and sharing child abuse material is victimless - you may be interacting with a police officer.
"We would also like to thank the member of the public who reported this illegal activity."
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. 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.
