A West Australian man has been charged with allegedly attempting to procure children from the Philippines for sexual activity, while he was travelling in another South-East Asian country.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Perth Airport intercepted and selected the man, 72, for a baggage examination on Saturday (28 March, 2026), after he returned to Australia on an international flight.
ABF officers alerted the AFP after an examination of his mobile phone revealed alleged child abuse material and online communications allegedly seeking to procure children for sexual activity.
AFP investigators questioned the man before executing a search warrant at a Mundijong property later that day, where they seized two hard drives and a USB for forensic examination.
The AFP charged the man with:
Two counts of procuring a child outside Australia for sexual activity, contrary to section 272.14 of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
One count of cause to transit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
Each offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.
The man appeared at Northbridge Magistrates Court on 29 March, 2026, where bail was formally refused. He is next expected to appear before Perth Magistrates Court on 1 May, 2026.
AFP Acting Inspector Josh Gilmour said the AFP and its partners worked tirelessly to detect any form of child exploitation, both in Australia and around the world.
"Children are some of our community's most vulnerable members and deserve to be protected from sexual predators, no matter where they live across the globe," a/Insp Gilmour said.
"Investigators work tirelessly to provide that protection, and working so closely with other agencies in this space gives us a wider net to cast."
ABF inspector John Sweet said the Australian Border Force continued to prioritise targeting and intercepting anyone seeking to access or trade in child abuse material.
"These offences exploit the most vulnerable members of our community, they cause real harm and lasting trauma to real children," Insp Sweet said.
"The ABF uses advanced targeting and highly trained officers to detect these alleged vile criminals and works closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure they face the full force of the law."
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 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.
