News Centre

This is a joint release between the Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police Force

A West Australian man is expected to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (14 December, 2023) charged with allegedly accessing, possessing and transmitting child abuse material.

The WA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) charged the man, 27, after allegedly finding child abuse material on a mobile phone when they executed a search warrant at his Madora Bay home yesterday.

Police allegedly identified the man during an investigation into a report from United States’ authorities about an online user uploading child abuse material to a social media application.

AFP Detective Acting Inspector Peter Brindal said the investigation highlighted how closely police around the world worked together to combat the exploitation and abuse of children.

“Anyone who views this material is committing a crime,’’ Detective Acting Inspector Brindal said. “Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators.”

The man was charged with:

• One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
• One count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
• Three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

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

The WA JACET comprises AFP and Western Australia Police Force (WAPF) officers.

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

WA Police Force Media: (08) 9222 1011

Connect with us

Follow our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube pages to learn more about what the AFP does to keep Australia safe.