19 July 2024, 6:04pm
Media Release
Man sentenced over child abuse material following Sydney Airport arrest
This is a joint release between Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force
A Sydney man has been sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment by the Sydney Downing Centre today (19 July, 2024) for a range of online child abuse offences.
AFP Eastern Command Child Protection investigators arrested the Warrick Farm man, 25, at Sydney Airport in March 2023, after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers found illegal material on his phone.
ABF officers examined the man’s baggage when he arrived on an international flight on 14 March, 2023. On his phone they found instant messenger conversations containing child abuse material.
AFP officers arrested the man and charged him with three offences.
The man pleaded guilty on 28 November, 2023, to:
- One count of use a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth);
- One count of use a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and
- One count of possess or control child abuse material using carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
He was sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment at the Sydney Downing Centre today (Friday, 19 July, 2024) and released on a recognisance release order with a good behaviour order for a period of three years.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the AFP worked closely with partners to identify anyone involved in the abuse and exploitation of children.
“The children shown in these images need to be protected, not used for the gratification of predators,” he said.
“The AFP will not hesitate to charge those involved at any level of the trade of these abhorrent images.”
ABF Inspector Clint Unwin said Border Force officers must be alert to any passenger behaviour which may warrant further questioning.
“When ABF officers stop and search an inbound passenger, we are always considering the protection of the Australian public – in particular our young and most vulnerable.
“Child abuse material is abhorrent and we must do everything in our power to stop the dissemination and possession of these images.”
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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. 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.
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 the ThinkUKnow website, 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 the ACCCE website.
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.
