The man, 61, was sentenced on Monday (15 September, 2025) after pleading guilty to 10 offences. He will be eligible for parole in three years and four months.
The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) - comprised of officers from the AFP and Western Australia Police Force - identified the man after investigating multiple reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an online user accessing child abuse material via social media.
When investigators executed a search warrant at the man's Australind home in September, 2021, they found more than 2000 images and videos depicting children being sexually abused on a mobile phone and two tablets.
The man pleaded guilty to:
Three counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material on a computer or data storage device, having obtained or accessed the material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of accessing child pornography*** using a carriage service contrary to section 474.19(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
One count of transmitting child pornography*** using a carriage service contrary to section 474.19(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
Four counts of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
One offence of transmitting child abuse material using a carriage service contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
"The AFP and its partners remain committed to protecting children from sexual predators and will prosecute anyone involved in their harm," a/Insp Jennings said.
"Children are some of the most vulnerable members of the community, and anyone who accesses material depicting horrific abuse against them contributes to the demand for others to physically harm them."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse. 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.
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.
