A Sydney man who pretended to be a teenage boy to trick girls into sending him sexually explicit images before extorting them for more content has been sentenced to four years and six months' imprisonment.
The man, now 26, was sentenced in Campbelltown Local Court yesterday (12 September, 2025) for eight offences and has been ordered to serve a non-parole period of two years' imprisonment.
The AFP charged the man in November 2022 after investigating a report from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about a user uploading child abuse material online.
After linking the Sydney man to the online activity, AFP Child Protection Operations investigators and forensics specialists executed a search warrant at his Liverpool home in November 2022 and seized a personal computer and mobile phone.
The man was initially charged with two counts of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to child under 16 years of age, contrary to section 474.27A of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The review of the devices and further investigations with NSW Police and United States Homeland Security Investigations led to the identification of 11 girls aged between 13 and 16 in Australia and the USA who were victims of the man's criminal offending.
Police found the man pretended online to be a juvenile - aged between 16 and 18 - to contact the girls and manipulate them into sending sexually explicit images of themselves.
Once he had images, he threatened to send them to their family and friends - or post them online - unless they continued to produce sexually explicit content and send it to him.
The AFP charged the man with additional offences and, on 7 August, 2024, he pleaded guilty to:
One count of use carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Three counts of use carriage service for sexual activity with child under 16 years, contrary to section 474.25A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of possess child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of produce child abuse material for use through a carriage service, contrary to section 474.20(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Two counts of use carriage service to procure a child under 16 years for sexual activity, contrary to section 474.26(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of use carriage service to transmit indecent communication to children under 16 years, contrary to section 474.27A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of use carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
One count of use a carriage service to menace, contrary to Section 474.17(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
AFP Detective Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said matters like this one were a reminder for parents and guardians of the importance of having regular open conversations with children about their online activity, to help keep them safe from predators.
"We encourage parents and guardians to talk to children about what platforms, apps and games they are using online, and remind them to never reveal personal information or speak to someone they do not know," Det Insp Tsardoulias said.
"If your child has been targeted, reassure them it is not their fault and help is available. Children and young people are never to blame for being a victim of online child sexual exploitation.
"We are committed to protecting children around the world from exploitation and abuse, and we are working closely with law enforcement partners in Australia and overseas to bring to justice anyone involved in their harm."
Homeland Security Investigations Attaché, Ernest Verina, said the United States of America remained resolute in its commitment to partner with Australia to protect children from sexual abuse, wherever they resided.
"Australia and the United States work closely together, and with partners around the world, to protect innocent children from those who seek to sexually exploit them," he said.
"Targeting victims in another country offers offenders no protection from the law, and the global law enforcement community work tirelessly together to see these offenders brought to justice."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploration (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.
