Op Tamworth: WA man jailed for child abuse-related offences
This is a joint release between the Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police Force
A man has been sentenced to a total of 10 months’ imprisonment by the Western Australia District Court for two child abuse-related offences.
The man, 66, was sentenced on Friday (16 June, 2023) after he pleaded guilty in December (2022) to two counts of possessing images of children being sexually abused and exploited.
AFP charged the man in November 2022 as a result of Operation Tamworth, a joint AFP and WA Police Force child protection investigation.
The investigation started when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation Child Protection received a report from the United States’ National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about child abuse material being uploaded to the Google platform.
Inquiries led police to link the activity to the man, and the WA Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) executed a search warrant at his Mount Hawthorn home in September (2022).
An examination of a mobile phone and computer tablet seized at the warrant revealed child abuse material, resulting in the man being charged for two counts of possession of child exploitation material, contrary to section 220 of the Criminal Code 1913 (WA). The maximum penalty for the offence is seven years’ imprisonment.
The man was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for one offence and eight months’ imprisonment for the second, with the terms to be served concurrently. The Judge ordered that he serve a minimum of five months’ imprisonment before being eligible for parole.
AFP Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman said viewing or sharing images of children being exploited or abused was not a victimless crime.
“Somewhere in the world, real children are being hurt and traumatised to produce this horrific content,” Detective Inspector Coleman said.
“We will never give up our fight to protect those children and stop anyone who plays a part in harming them.”
The WA JACET comprises AFP and WA Police Force officers.
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 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.
Media enquiries:
AFP Media: (02) 5126 9297
WA Police Force Media: (08) 9222 1011
Connect with us:
Follow our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube pages to learn more about what the AFP does to keep Australia safe.