A West Australian man is scheduled to appear in Perth
Magistrates Court today (19 April, 2024) after police found he was allegedly communicating
with adults overseas to procure children to engage in sexual activity.
The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA
JACET) charged the man, 62, on 12 April, 2024, as a result of an investigation
that started after Australian Border Force (ABF) members examined his luggage
when he arrived at Perth Airport on a flight from overseas last year (2023).
During the examination, ABF officers allegedly found child
abuse material on a device.
Three electronic devices were seized for forensic
examination and the matter was referred to WA JACET, with investigators
executing a search warrant at the man’s Innaloo home.
The WA JACET forensic examination of the man’s devices allegedly
found records of communications with adults overseas to procure children to
engage in sexual activity.
AFP Senior Constable James Nuhn said the AFP was working closely
with international partners to remove any child victims from harm.
He said the AFP was committed to protecting children,
wherever they lived.
“People who seek to harm children should be warned that no
matter what methods they use, the AFP and our partners will identify them and
bring them to justice,” Senior Constable Nuhn said.
“Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent
gratification of sexual predators.”
ABF Inspector Brett Hennessy said
information seized from passengers' digital devices had contributed to many successful
law enforcement operations targeting illegal activities.
“ABF officers, together with our law
enforcement partners, are on the frontline every day using highly sophisticated
technology to catch this type of detestable behaviour," Inspector
Hennessy said.
“Not only is child abuse material illegal,
but as this case shows, there are very real victims subject to abuse and harm involved
to create these abhorrent images.”
The man has been charged with:
·
One count of procure a child to engage in sexual
activity outside of Australia, contrary to section 272.14(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth); and
·
One count of grooming a person to make it easier
to engage in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia, contrary to
section 272.15A(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The maximum penalty for the offences is 15 years'
imprisonment.
WA JACET comprises officers from the AFP and Western
Australia Police Force.
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.
