A Sydney man has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for possessing and accessing child abuse material.
The man, 30, pleaded guilty to four child abuse offences and was sentenced on 20 March, 2026, in Downing Centre Local Court to three years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 months.
The investigation started after the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a referral from United States Department of Homeland Security. US authorities had identified that an Australian-based individual was involved in sexually explicit online communications with a child.
AFP Eastern Command Child Protection Operations investigators subsequently linked the Sydney man to an online account connected to the offending.
In April, 2024, AFP investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Parklea, NSW. During the search, police seized a mobile phone, with a subsequent forensic examination of the phone revealing child abuse material.
The man pleaded guilty on 12 August 2025, to four charges:
- One count of possession of child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Two counts of accessing child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- One count of transmitting indecent communication to person under 16 years contrary to section 474.27A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
Detective Superintendent Luke Needham said the exploitation of children online will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
"The AFP, alongside its law enforcement partners in Australia and overseas, is committed to protecting children from those who seek to harm them," Det-Supt Needham said.
"Anyone involved in this type of offending should understand they will be identified, investigated and held to account for the harm they cause, including their contribution to the online trade which encourages and enables the abuse of children around the world."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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.
