Adelaide man jailed for online child abuse offences
This is a joint release between Australian Federal Police and South Australia Police
A 31-year-old Adelaide man has been sentenced to five years and four months jail by the Adelaide District Court yesterday (24 June 2020) for grooming girls online and possessing thousands of videos and photographs depicting child abuse.
The South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (SA JACET) charged the man on 22 August 2019 after an investigation sparked by a tip-off from the National Canadian Child Exploitation Coordination Centre (NCCECC).
The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to all eight offences, which included having indecent conversations online with two 13-year-old girls; and grooming a 15-year-old girl.
He was sentenced for:
- One count of using a carriage service to transmit child pornography material, contrary to section 474.19 of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of possession of child exploitation material, contrary to section 63A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA), basic offence;
- One count of possession of child exploitation material, contrary to section 63A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA), aggravated offence;
- Two counts of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to person under 16 years of age, contrary to section 474.27A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995(Cth);
- Two counts of using a carriage service for child pornography material, contrary to section 474.19(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of using a carriage service to groom persons under 16 years of age, contrary to section 474.27(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
He will be eligible for parole after serving a minimum of three years behind bars.
SA JACET comprises members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the South Australia Police (SAPOL).
Note to media: USE OF TERM ‘CHILD ABUSE’, NOT ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’
Use of the phrase “child pornography” benefits child sex abusers because it:
- indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
- conjures images of children posing in ‘provocative’ positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.
Every photograph captures an actual situation where a child has been abused. This is not “pornography”.
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