A Landsdale man has been sentenced to two years and two months' imprisonment for possessing child abuse material and child-like sex dolls.
The man, 34, was sentenced earlier this month (1 March, 2024) by the Perth District Court after pleading guilty to three charges.
The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET), comprising of the AFP and WA Police Force, charged the man in June, 2023, after investigating a report from the New South Wales Police Force about a person accessing child abuse material online.
Investigators charged the man after they searched his Landsdale home in June 2023 where they found child abuse material on electronic devices and two child-like sex dolls. Police also seized electronic devices, including a gaming console, cameras and storage devices.
The man pleaded guilty to:
- One count of possessing child abuse material , contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- Two counts of possessing a child-like sex doll, contrary to section 273A.1 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The man was ordered to serve 12 months in jail and will then be released on a recognisance release order to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
AFP Detective Sergeant Karen Addiscott said research by the Australian Institute of Criminology had found that use of child-like sex dolls might lead to an escalation in child sex offences.
"These dolls are far from harmless and do not prevent people from offending against children in the future," Det-Sgt Addiscott said.
"In fact, the dolls can desensitise people who use them to the actual physical, emotional and psychological harm caused to children by sexual abuse.
"The AFP is committed to pursuing any form of child exploitation or activity that encourages or reinforces the sexual abuse of children."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation 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 at www.accce.gov.au/report. 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 at www.accce.gov.au/support.
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 www.thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
