A West Australian man was sentenced yesterday (16 April, 2026) to two years and six months' imprisonment for possessing child abuse material and refusing to give police access to his electronic devices.
The Perth District Court ordered the man, 34, to serve six months in custody before being released on a recognisance order to be of good behaviour for two years.
The Swan View man had previously pleaded guilty to:
- Two counts of possessing child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- Five counts of failing to comply with an order, contrary to section 3LA(6) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth).
Quotes attributable to AFP Acting Inspector Josh Gilmour:
"Children deserve safety, dignity and protection, and the AFP will not tolerate those who prey on them.
"Offenders who possess this kind of abhorrent material contribute to the trauma children suffer, because they contribute to the demand for other criminals to physically harm children.
"Our investigators are relentless in their pursuit of anyone participating in these sickening crimes and will use every resource available to ensure they face justice."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the AFP-led 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.
