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A WA man is expected to face Perth Magistrates Court today (14 July, 2023) charged with online child abuse-related offences.

The WA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) charged the man, 49, on 3 July, 2023.

The investigation started after the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received intelligence about an Australian accessing a child abuse site on the dark web.

The WA JACET, comprising officers from the Australian Federal Police and Western Australian Police Force, allegedly linked a Marangaroo man to the dark net site and executed a search warrant at his home in June.

Investigators seized a computer tower and found 17 videos containing child abuse material.

The AFP will allege the man visited several dark web sites containing child abuse material and used various methods in an attempt to avoid law enforcement detection.

AFP Detective acting Inspector Ross Hinscliff said every video containing child abuse material was horrific and viewing them was a crime.

“Our message to online offenders has not changed - if you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted,” Det. a/Insp. Hinscliff said.

“If you think you are safe because you’re using the dark web or other anonymising technologies, think again. Law enforcement will use any tool available to find you and put you before the courts.”

The man was charged with:

• One count of possessing of child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code1995 (Cth); and
• One count of accessing child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).

The maximum penalty for these offences is 15 years' imprisonment.

The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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.

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