A Victorian man has been sentenced by the Melbourne County Court today (13 February, 2026) to three years and 10 months' imprisonment for sexually touching a child and producing child abuse material.
He will be eligible for parole after serving two years and six months.
The man, 42, previously pleaded guilty to:
- One count of producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service, contrary to section 474.23(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- One count of possessing child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Two counts of sexually touching a child under the age of 16 years, contrary to section 49D of the Crimes Act 1958 (VIC);
- One count of producing an intimate image, contrary to section 53R(1) of the Crimes Act 1958 (VIC); and
- One count of installation, use and maintenance of optical surveillance devices, contrary to section seven of the Surveillance Devices Act 1999 (VIC).
Quotes attributable to AFP Detective Superintendent Ray Imbriano:
"Children are some of the most vulnerable members of society, and the AFP is fiercely committed to protecting them from harm.
"For those producing, possessing or sharing this kind of abhorrent material; the AFP is working tirelessly to identify you and place you before the courts to face justice for these sickening crimes."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is driving a collaborative national approach.
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.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety. 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.
