A 45-year-old man will face Melbourne Magistrate’s Court today, charged in relation to child abuse material offences.
The man was arrested and charged on Friday, 1 May, following the execution of a search warrant at his home in the Melbourne suburb of Doreen.
The Victorian Joint-Anti Child Exploitation Team (VIC JACET) commenced an investigation into the man’s online activities in April 2020.
This followed a referral to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Child Protection (ACCCE) Triage Unit from the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States.
Investigators from the VIC JACET charged the man with:
- One count of transmitting child abuse material, contrary to subsection 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code (Cth)
- One count of possessing child abuse material, contrary to 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for these offences is 15 years imprisonment.
The man is due to appear today in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in relation to the matter.
Australian Federal Police Acting Commander ACCCE and Child Protection Operations Paula Hudson said the AFP and the ACCCE continued to work cooperatively with international partners to target anyone who accessed abusive content online despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every image or video of this material depicts a child being horrifically abused. That abuse will stay with them for life. The current pandemic will not stop law enforcement from finding those who support this industry and putting them before the courts,” Acting Commander Hudson said.
The ACCCE is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting organised child abuse and brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in the possession or sharing of child exploitation material 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 .
