Brisbane man charged with allegedly possessing child abuse material
A 32-year-old Brisbane man is expected to face court today (Friday, 1 October 2021) charged with child abuse-related offences by the Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET).
The investigation began after the Australian Federal Police (AFP)-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received two reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child abuse material (CAM) being uploaded to the social media platform KiK.
AFP investigators from the Brisbane JACET allegedly linked the Kuraby man to the email addresses associated with the account.
A search warrant was executed at the man's home in August 2021, with investigators seizing multiple electronic devices that contained CAM. The digital devices were subject to further forensic examination.
The man will appear before Beenleigh Magistrates Court charged with two counts of accessing material using a carriage service, the material being child pornography, contrary to section 474.19(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) and two counts possessing child exploitation material, contrary to section 228D of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld).
The maximum penalty for these offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
AFP Detective Superintendent Tim Puchala said state and Commonwealth law enforcement agencies were committed to apprehending alleged offenders and holding them accountable for their crimes.
"If you are downloading and sharing child abuse material, you are complicit in an abhorrent industry that causes lifelong harm to victims. You are not anonymous, and you will be caught," Detective Superintendent Puchala said.
"We encourage parents and guardians to know the apps their children are using, supervise them online and talk to them about online safety."
The ACCCE is committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting organised child abuse.
The Centre brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protection children online can be found at ThinkUKnow, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
Note to media:
Brisbane JACET comprises officers from the AFP and the Queensland Police Service.
Use of term 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL NOT 'CHILD PORNOGRAPHY'
The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material – the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.
Use of the phrase "child pornography" is inaccurate and 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 or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.
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