A 25-year-old man from Logan, south of Brisbane, has been sentenced to three years jail by the Brisbane Supreme Court today (11 April 2022) for sharing child abuse material online.
The man was charged by AFP Northern Command Child Protection Operations investigators in July 2020 after the AFP received information from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in the United States about a Twitter user transmitting child abuse material online.
AFP investigators executing a search warrant at the man's Woodridge home after allegedly linking the 25-year-old to the child abuse material. Police seized a number of electronic devices that showed the man had been in possession of and was transmitting child abuse material.
The man pleaded guilty to 15 offences, including;
- Six counts of using carriage service to make available child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- Four counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of using a carriage service to access child pornography, contrary to section 474.19 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) and;
- Four counts of possessing child abuse material, contract to section 228D of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld).
Detective Acting Sergeant Nicole Watkins said the investigation showed the AFP will not stop investigating people who seek to share or access child abuse material online.
"Our goal is to protect children - every time someone shares or accesses child abuse material they are perpetuating the cycle of abuse and causing more harm to victims," she said.
"This investigation shows why our partnership with international law enforcement, like HSI, is so important to disrupting and detecting those who seek to share child abuse material online."
The man was sentenced to three years jail. He is eligible for parole after serving 15 months.
The AFP is also urging the public to help it solve cold case child abuse investigations through its Stop Child Abuse - Trace an Object initiative. The smallest clue can often help solve a case.
The world-leading initiative, is centred on the publishing of non-confrontational images that can be seen in child exploitation online material such as pieces of clothing or bedding.
Australian investigators believe the images are linked to victims in the Asia Pacific Region, including Australia, and are calling on the community to view the images and make a report at www.accce.gov.au/trace
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the ACCCE is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting child exploitation and abuse.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child exploitation and abuse are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child exploitation and abuse, including sexual abuse and online exploitation, there are support services available.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at ThinkUKnow, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
