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A South Australia man faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday (19 December) after being charged with allegedly accessing and possessing child abuse material.

The SA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) allegedly identified the man, 38, after receiving a report from the United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

It is alleged the Australian Snapchat user engaged in sexually explicit communication and solicited child abuse material from a child online.

SA JACET officers executed a search warrant at the man’s Morphett Vale home on 18 December, with police allegedly locating child abuse material on several electronic devices.

The man also allegedly refused to provide officers with access to one of his mobile phones and two table devices.

The devices, including iPads, mobile phones and desktop computer, were seized for further forensic examination.

The man, 38, was charged with:

• One count of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
• One count of possessing child exploitation material, contrary to section 63A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA); and
• One count of failing to comply with a 3LA order, contrary to section 3LA(6) of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth).

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

The man is next due to appear before Adelaide Magistrates Court on 7 March 2024.

AFP Sergeant Joe Barry said police worked closely with state, commonwealth and international partners to identify signs of child abuse and exploitation.

“Predators think they can hide their tracks by keeping their abhorrent activities offline, but our investigators work tirelessly to target and identify alleged offenders in Australia and overseas,” he said.

“Our message has not changed - If you procure, access and transmit child abuse material online, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted”

“This is not a victimless crime. Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators.”

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.

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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