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A Perth man, 23, was sentenced to 16 months’ jail and released on a good behaviour bond on Friday (28 April 2023), after being convicted for possessing and sharing child abuse material online.   

The investigation began in June 2022, after the AFP Child Protection Triage Unit (CPTU) received a report from the New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs about a user accessing and uploading child abuse material to an online platform.

In July 2022, the Western Australia Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET), comprising of AFP and WA Police officers, executed a search warrant at the man’s Alexander Heights home.

During the search, officers found child abuse material on a mobile phone and laptop belonging to the man.

In December 2022, the man pleaded guilty to the following charges:

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

The man was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment and released on an 18-month good behaviour bond in the District Court of Western Australia.

AFP Detective Sergeant Ross Hinscliff said the AFP continued to work tirelessly to identify and prosecute those preying on children.

“The AFP is committed to working alongside state, Commonwealth and international law enforcement agencies to combat the exploitation of children, no matter where they are in the world,” Detective Sergeant Hinscliff said.

“Parents, caregivers and the community are the first line of defence when it comes to protecting our children.

“We will always need the community’s help to ensure we are effective in identifying victims and perpetrators.”

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.

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