A South Australian man was sentenced to a total of 15 years' jail in the Adelaide District Court today 21 December 2022 for a range of child abuse offences.
The man, 33, faced court on 11 October 2022 and pleaded guilty to 19 charges relating to soliciting, accessing, transmitting and possessing child abuse material, and online grooming. The man also pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child on the 16 September 2022.
The investigation began in December 2020 after the SA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) - comprising officers from the AFP and South Australia Police - received a report from the National Centre for Missing and exploited Children child about child abuse material being uploaded to social media platform Kik Messenger.
Investigators executed a search warrant at the man's Salisbury home on 15 March 2021, where they located and examined mobile devices.
The man was arrested and charged with the following offences:
Two counts of using a carriage service to transmit material that is indecent to person under 16 years of age, contrary to subsection 474.27A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service to transmit child pornography material, contrary to subsection 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
Two counts of using a carriage service to solicit child pornography material, contrary to subsection 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service transmit a communication with the intention of making it easier to procure the recipient of the communication, a person who the defendant believes is under 16 years of age, to engage in sexual activity, contrary to subsection 474.27(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of attempting to use a carriage service to solicit child pornography material, contrary to subsections 11.1(1) and 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service to cause child pornography material to be transmitted to himself, contrary to subsection 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service to access child pornography material, contrary to subsection 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, contrary to subsection 474.17(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to subsection 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of attempting to use a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to subsections 11.1(1) and 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
Three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to subsection 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
Two counts of using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself, contrary to subsection 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to subsection 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of possessing or controlling child abuse material held in a data storage device, accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to subsection 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
One count of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child, contrary to Section 50(1) of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA).
The man was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of eight years and six months.
AFP Acting Sergeant Gordon Brown said child abuse offenders should be aware that their deviant behaviour will not be tolerated, and they face serious penalties if convicted of criminal offences.
"Children are not commodities. Our common goal is to protect children, wherever they live, and ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the court," Acting Sergeant Brown said.
"The work that the AFP undertakes with state, territory and international law enforcement partners to protect children is extremely important. Our collaboration and cooperation is paramount to being able to identify and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit or harm them," he said.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation 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 and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety.
An award-winning podcast launched last year by the ACCCE 'Closing The Net' is working to change that, showcasing that knowledge is power and that our only chance to help prevent this issue is if we bring a 'whole-of-community' response.
The podcast series offers valuable tips and advice on how to keep kids safe online. Listen to the Closing The Net podcast on your favourite streaming platform.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
