24 October 2023, 5:09pm
Media Release
Melbourne man sentenced for sexually abusing children overseas
A Melbourne man has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment today (Tuesday 24 October) for sexually abusing children in the Philippines.
The man, 61, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne County Court to three counts of engaging in sexual intercourse with a child while outside Australia.
The Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (VIC-JACET) identified the Melbourne man following an investigation into an Australian citizen charged with child abuse offending in the Philippines in June, 2018.
The Australian citizen had paid for a child sex facilitator in the Philippines to procure underage children for sexual activity.
The Philippines National Police located and arrested the facilitator in February, 2019, and six children were rescued as a result.
On 5 February, 2020, AFP members travelled to the Philippines to conduct interviews with the victims. During the interviews, the victims identified the Melbourne man and reported incidents of sexual abuse.
Police arrested the man after he arrived in Sydney from Singapore in November, 2021, and he was extradited back to Melbourne where he was subsequently charged.
He has been remanded in custody since November, 2021, and was today sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 8 years.
AFP Leading Senior Constable Mark Sharer said the AFP is committed to protecting children both abroad and in Australia.
“Our investigators are committed to identifying these offenders wherever they may reside in the world,” Leading Senior Constable Sharer said.
“Trying to hide these abhorrent actions by travelling overseas will not stop us from locating offenders, seizing evidence and putting them before the courts.
“The AFP will continue to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those preying on children.”
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation 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.
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