Child exploitation arrest at Adelaide Airport

A 44-year-old man was arrested on child exploitation offences by Australian Federal Police (AFP) at Adelaide Airport this morning after being deported from Indonesia following a joint AFP-Indonesia National Police (INP) operation.

The Adelaide man was detained by Indonesian authorities on 7 June 2008.

Computer equipment and a USB drive were seized during a search of the man’s Jakarta residence.

AFP agents met the man on arrival at Adelaide Airport this morning where he was arrested and taken to Port Adelaide Police Station.

He was charged with using a carriage service to access child pornography, using a carriage service to transmit child pornography and using a carriage service to groom persons under 16 years of age contrary to Section 474.19of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995.

He was bailed to appear before Adelaide Magistrates Court on September 19.

The AFP’s acting National Manager for High Tech Crime Operations Kevin Zuccato warned that child exploitation offences committed overseas can be prosecuted in Australia.

“Through the AFP’s International Liaison Officer Network, along with Interpol and the Virtual Global Taskforce, the AFP is connecting with our international partners to ensure that cyber-criminals and child protection offences are acted upon,” Commander Zuccato said.

Concerns about inappropriate or suspicious behaviour can be reported to local police, the AFP website, or the Virtual Global Taskforce website at www.virtualglobaltaskforce.com.

The maximum penalty for the child pornography offences is 10 years imprisonment and the maximum penalty for the grooming offence is 12 years imprisonment.