A 52 year old man will reappear in court next month after a significant quantity of child abuse material (CAM) was discovered hidden around his body and on his personal devices after arriving into Sydney airport.
The Sydney man was identified by Australian Border Force officers (ABF) and selected for screening after arriving into Sydney airport from Fiji in the early hours on 25 June 2025.
An examination of his phone by ABF officers uncovered a large volume of child abuse material stored across several applications. During an interview, the man admitted to deleting images prior to arrival.
A subsequent baggage examination was undertaken where an additional mobile phone was located along with a tablet, smart watch, hard drive and laptop all which were held for further inspection.
ABF officers then conducted a frisk search which revealed five additional hard drives concealed in his shoes and one more hard drive hidden in his underwear.
The man was immediately arrested and charged with multiple serious Commonwealth offences, including:
- Importation of child abuse material contrary to subsection 233BAB(5) of the Customs Act 1901.
- Use of a carriage service to transmit child abuse material on 19 January 2023 and between 6 December 2022 and 25 June 2025, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
- Obstruction of Commonwealth officials under section 149.1(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995.
Acting Superintendent Michael Mahony said this detection highlights the role ABF officers play as the first line of defence at Australia's border.
"This detection is the direct result of a robust combination of intelligence profiling, data analysis, and the vigilance of our front line officers," acting superintendent Mahony said.
"But this isn't just about apprehending this individual - it's about protecting children from harm. Every file intercepted is a potential crime prevented, and a child safeguarded."
"This case is a disturbing example of the extreme lengths some individuals go to in order to conceal their criminal activity, and we congratulate the officers involved for removing one more predator from our streets"
The man was refused bail and will reappear in court on 19 August 2025.
