A West Australian man was sentenced to a maximum of two years and 11 months' imprisonment by the Geraldton District Court yesterday (20 July, 2026) for possessing and transmitting child abuse material.
The man, 38, will be eligible for parole after serving a period of 18 months.
The Rangeway man was sentenced following an AFP investigation into his uploading of child abuse material to online chats.
He was charged with eighteen offences:
- Nine counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Two counts of caused child abuse material to be transmitted to himself using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
- Three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- Four counts of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iv) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Josh Gilmour said children deserved safety, dignity and protection, and the AFP would not tolerate those who prey on them.
"Offenders who access and share this kind of abhorrent material contribute to the trauma children suffer, because they feed the demand for other criminals to physically harm children," Det a/Insp Gilmour said.
"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 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.
