Six children have been removed from harm in the Philippines following a Northern Territory Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NT JACET) investigation into a Darwin man who was allegedly involved in the live online abuse of children overseas.
The man, 68, appeared in Darwin Local Court today (27 May, 2025) charged with five offences, including in relation to allegedly directing the sexual abuse of young children, as he watched the crimes live on video from another location.
NT JACET, comprising members of AFP and Northern Territory Police, started an investigation in January, 2025, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly found child abuse material on the man's mobile phone.
ABF had selected the man, 68, for a baggage examination on his arrival into Darwin on New Year's Day (1 January, 2025) and checked his mobile phone as part of the search.
ABF officers alerted NT JACET to the matter.
Further forensic examination of the man's mobile phone resulted in police allegedly finding sexually explicit videos and images of children, as well as video calls from the man to facilitators in the Philippines instructing them to livestream sexual abuse of children as young as six.
NT JACET investigators executed a search warrant on 3 January, 2025, at Dinah Beach in Darwin where the man had been residing in a vehicle and yacht, and arrested him.
He initially appeared in court on 7 January, 2025 and was remanded in custody to reappear today (27 May, 2025).
NT JACET provided information to AFP members in Manila, which led to an investigation by Philippines National Police (PNP). In April, 2025, Philippines authorities arrested two Philippine nationals and removed six children from harm.
The Darwin man has been charged with:
Two counts of sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia, contrary to section 272.8 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 20 years' imprisonment.
Two counts of sexual activity with a child outside Australia, contrary to section 272.9 of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 20 years' imprisonment.
One count of possessing child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years' imprisonment.
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said AFP and its law enforcement partners worked tirelessly and relentlessly to bring offenders to justice.
"The protection of children is one of the AFP's highest priorities. All victims of child sexual exploitation experience lifelong harm because of the selfish actions of their abusers," Supt Davis said.
"The AFP will continue to work closely with local, Commonwealth and international partners to protect children from sickening abuse, and together identify offenders and bring them before the courts."
Philippine National Police Brigadier General Portia B Manalad said PNP and the AFP continued to collaborate on child exploitation cases to achieve results such as this.
"The PNP Women and Children Protection Centre will continue to locate alleged offenders and rescue victims with the assistance of our foreign partners," Brigadier General Manalad said.
NT Police Force Senior Sergeant Toby Wilson said the possession and distribution of child abuse material caused immeasurable harm to vulnerable children.
"Our team remains committed to pursuing offenders relentlessly and protecting the community against child exploitation," Snr Sgt Wilson said.
ABF Commander Tracie Griffin said the arrest was a stark reminder that the vigilance of ABF officers at Australia's border was absolutely critical in protecting the most vulnerable.
"I want to commend the work of the ABF officers involved in the alleged discovery of child abuse material on this man's phone. Six children are safe because of their diligence and the work of our domestic and international law enforcement partners," Commander Griffin said.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the AFP-led 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.
