A 59-year-old man from Queensland's Moreton Bay is expected to face Pine Rivers Magistrates Court today (12 March) accused of having sexualised conversations with two children overseas.
The Australian Federal Police's Brisbane Child Protection Operations charged the man in January this year, after investigating a report from the United States National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), sent to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
The NCMEC report alleged a person suspected to be in Queensland was engaging in sexualised online chats with children located in the Philippines via Facebook. Police inquiries allegedly connected the 59-year-old to the account.
Investigators from AFP Brisbane Child Protection Operations executed a search warrant at a home in Caboolture on 14 January 2021.
Officers seized a laptop and a desktop computer at the scene for examination.
The man was charged with one count of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communications to persons under the age of 16.
The potential maximum penalty for the offence is 10 years imprisonment.
AFP Child Protection Operations Detective Superintendent Paula Hudson said the AFP works with international partners to stop those seeking to access children online before they can cause harm.
"Our officers work tirelessly to hunt down offenders to ensure those seeking to access children for sexual offences online are prosecuted," Detective Superintendent Hudson said.
"Offenders can target parents or carers for access to their children through social media and online child sex offenders may even offer money in order to abuse children online."
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.
You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report.
