A West Australian man was scheduled to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court today (1 May, 2026) after being charged with allegedly possessing and transmitting child abuse material.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers intercepted the man and sent him for a baggage examination on his arrival into Perth Airport from Singapore on 28 February 2026. Officers identified allegedly sexually explicit messages and child abuse images on the man's electronic devices.
After further investigations by ABF, the matter was referred to the AFP in mid-March for investigation.
Police will allege the Craigie man, 60, communicated with overseas-based children via social media platforms to engage them in sexually explicit activity.
The AFP charged the man with:
One count of using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment; and
One count of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under 16 years of age, contrary to section 474.27A of the Criminal Code (Cth). This offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
AFP Detective Superintendent Peter Chwal said the AFP and its law enforcement partners were committed to protecting children from online sexual abuse.
"The AFP and its partners work tirelessly, sharing intelligence and all available tools to identify and arrest alleged offenders in the effort to keep children safe," Det-Supt Chwal said.
"Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators."
ABF Superintendent John Eldridge said the Australian Border Force is committed to protecting children from exploitation and abuse.
"Through intelligence-led targeting, our officers actively disrupt attempts to import, access or distribute child abuse material," Supt Eldridge said.
"Every detection prevents further harm to those most vulnerable in our community and sends a clear message that there is no safe avenue for this abhorrent material.
"The ABF works closely with law enforcement and other border agency partners to disrupt illicit and harmful activity at the border and ensure those responsible are held to account."
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.
