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02 July 2020, 10:53am
Media Release

Multiple arrests across the Riverina for child abuse material

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has conducted two separate child protection operations in the NSW Riverina region, resulting in the arrest of two men and a woman.

During January 2020, the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) Child Protection Triage Unit received a number of reports from the United States of America’s National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) relating to allegations of Australian users uploading child abuse material online.

The Australian Federal Police’s NSW Child Protection Operations Team launched two separate investigations into the alleged offenders, which culminated in multiple search warrants in the Riverina region yesterday (Wednesday, 1 July 2020).

In the first operation, Operation WAKATAKE, the AFP executed two search warrants at properties in the Riverina area and two vehicles. A 52-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman were arrested for their alleged involvement in uploading/sharing/producing Child abuse material online.

Police seized a number of electronic devices including (mobile phones/tablets/laptops/hard drives/camera). Forensic examination of the devices is ongoing.

The man has been remanded to reappear at Albury Local Court today (Thursday 2 July, 2020) charged with:

  • 1 x 474.22(1) Crimes Act 1914 - Solicit material using a carriage service, the material being child abuse material - 15 years imprisonment
  • 1 x 474.22A Crimes Act 1914 - Possess child abuse material obtained or accessed through a carriage service - 15 years imprisonment
  • 1 x 91H Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) - Possess child abuse material - 10 years imprisonment

The woman has been remanded in remanded to reappear at Albury Local Court today (Thursday 2 July, 2020) charged with:

  • 3 x 91G Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) - Children not to be used for production of child abuse material - 14 years imprisonment
  • 1 x 91H Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) - Possess child abuse material - 10 years imprisonment
  • 1 x 474.22(1)(a)(iii) Criminal Code (Cth) - transmit child abuse material using a carriage service - 15 years imprisonment
  • 1 x 66DF Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) - Sexual Act for production of child abuse material  - Child Under 16 - 10 years imprisonment

In a second, separate operation, known as Operation MIMEKAZE, conducted yesterday morning, a 56-year-old man was arrested in his Riverina-region home for allegedly transmitting child abuse material online.

The man was refused bail remanded to reappear at Albury Local Court today (Thursday 2 July, 2020) charged with:

  • 2 x possess child abuse material contrary to section 91H of the Crimes Act 1990 (NSW); -10 years imprisonment
  • 1 x transmit child abuse material using a carriage service contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and - 15 years imprisonment
  • 1 x access child abuse material using a carriage service contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).

Police do not believe this man arrested is connected to the 52-year-old man and 43-year-old woman.

AFP Child Protection Operations Superintendent Paula Hudson said the arrests were indicative of a coordinated, global response to child abuse.

“Child abuse is a horrific and insidious issue, it’s happening globally and locally, everywhere from major cities to small rural towns. It’s amplified by the way abusers share material online, abusing and re-abusing their victims with the click of a button,” Superintendent Hudson said.

“When a file surfaces online and it’s detected by authorities, the international network of law enforcement works tirelessly together to find the person responsible, arrest them and put them before court.

“In both these instances, it was the NCMEC in America that first detected this material and reported it to us. And it was the tireless investigation of the AFP’s NSW Child Protection Operation’s team that resulted in these arrests.”

Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000.

You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report.

Media enquiries

AFP Media: (02) 5126 9297

Note to media:

USE OF TERM 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL, NOT 'CHILD PORNOGRAPHY'

Use of the phrase "child pornography" 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 captures an actual situation where a child has been abused. This is not "pornography".