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29 April 2019, 2:18pm
Media Release

Queensland man charged with child exploitation offences

A 74-year-old Innisfail man is scheduled to appear before Cairns Magistrates’ Court today (Monday, 29 April 2019) charged with child exploitation offences.

Following information provided to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), members of the AFP assisted by Queensland Police Service (QPS) executed a search warrant at a residence in Innisfail, in far north Queensland, on Saturday 27 April 2019.

A number of digital media and storage devices were seized during the warrants, including terabytes of data which police will allege contained child exploitation material.

The 74-year-old was arrested and charged with:

  • Procuring a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia, contrary to section 272.14(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years imprisonment.
  • Possessing child exploitation material, utilising an anonymising service, contrary to section 288D(1)(a) of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld). The maximum penalty for this offence is 20 years imprisonment.

The investigation remains ongoing and bail has been opposed.

Note to media:
THIS IS CHILD EXPLOITATION, 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 up 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.

Media enquiries:
AFP National Media: (02) 6131 6333

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