Darwin man charged with possessing child abuse material
Editor’s note: Vision of the arrest is available via Hightail.
A Darwin man is expected to face Darwin local Court today (13 February 2023) charged with possessing child abuse material.
Investigators from the Northern Territory Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) arrested and charged the man on 10 February 2023 as a result of an investigation sparked by alerts from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The man, 54, was stopped by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Darwin International Airport in November 2022 upon his return from India. His baggage and digital devices were examined and officers found alleged child abuse material on his mobile phone.
NT JACET officers, comprising members from the Australian Federal Police and Northern Territory Police Force, executed a search warrant at the man’s Coconut Grove home in November (2022) with the assistance of ABF Investigators and seized 40 electronic devices, including mobile phones and portable storage devices.
As a result of a forensic examination of those devices, the man was arrested in Darwin on Friday (10 February 2023) and charged with:
- One count of possessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth), and
- One count of importing tier 2 goods, namely child abuse material, contrary to section 233BAB(4) of the Customs Act 1901 (Cth).
The maximum penalties for these offences are 15 and 10 years’ imprisonment respectively.
AFP Superintendent Gregory Davis said anyone who accessed or shared child abuse material created the demand that resulted in other criminals physically abusing children.
“Accessing and possessing child abuse material is not a victimless crime, somewhere in the world a child is being horribly abused and the distribution of that recorded crime re-victimises them each time it is watched,” Superintendent Davis said.
“The AFP and our local and international partners are committed to protecting children and identifying those involved in bringing them harm."
ABF Superintendent Bridget O’Brien said the outcome today sends a strong message to anyone participating in the creation or movement of child abuse material.
“Highly skilled ABF officers are on the frontline every single day using highly sophisticated technology to catch this type of abhorrent material. If you are doing the wrong thing, you will be caught,” Superintendent O’Brien said.
“Protecting children from harm is the utmost priority for ABF, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.”
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety.
An award-winning podcast launched last year by the ACCCE 'Closing The Net' is working to change that, showcasing that knowledge is power and that our only chance to help prevent this issue is if we bring a 'whole-of-community' response.
The podcast series offers valuable tips and advice on how to keep kids safe online. Listen to the Closing The Net podcast on your favourite streaming platform.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available at www.accce.gov.au/support.
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.
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.
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