06 October 2023, 1:24pm
Media Release
Brisbane man charged with child abuse material offence
A Brisbane man, 32, is expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Arrest Court today (6 October 2023), charged with using a carriage service for child abuse material.
The Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team charged the man on 24 August 2023.
Police identified the man during an investigation into a report from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about a user uploading child abuse material on Snapchat.
AFP investigators allegedly linked the man to the illegal online activity.
A search warrant was executed at the man’s Runcorn home on 24 August, with investigators allegedly finding child abuse material on a mobile phone. The device will be subject to further forensic examination.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Tim Murphy said those who viewed or accessed child abuse material had committed a crime.
“Possessing, accessing and transmitting child abuse material perpetuates the abuse of children,” he said.
“These children are real people and not commodities to be used for the gratification of predators.”
The man was charged with using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for the offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
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 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.
For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what is online child sexual exploitation and how to report it visit www.accce.gov.au.
Note to media:
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.
Media enquiries:
AFP Media: (02) 5126 9297
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