A Townsville man is expected to face Townsville Magistrates Court today (9 March, 2026) charged with accessing and possessing child abuse material.
The AFP Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) charged the man, 22, after investigating a report from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an Australian allegedly uploading child abuse material to an instant messaging platform.
Investigators executed a search warrant at a home on 19 February, 2026, where they seized multiple electronic devices.
A forensic examination of the devices allegedly identified multiple child abuse material files. The man was charged with:
One count of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
One count of accessing 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 offence is 15 years' imprisonment.
The man was given police bail with strict conditions to appear in court today.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said the AFP was committed to identifying, targeting and prosecuting anyone allegedly involved in the abuse and exploitation of children.
"Every time child abuse material is viewed or shared, it perpetuates the cycle of abuse against the child victims," Det Supt Telfer said.
"AFP, alongside its law enforcement partners, will continue to identify and locate those sharing this abhorrent content and put them before the courts."
