Queensland man charged with child exploitation offences
A 53-year-old Queensland man is due to appear before the Brisbane Magistrates Court today (8 August) charged with child exploitation offences.
Detectives from the Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) arrested the 53-year-old man on 23 July 2019 for allegedly sharing and distributing child exploitation material (CEM). During the arrest police also seized a storage device, mobile devices and a personal computer.
The investigation began on 27 June 2019 when Brisbane JACET officers identified an internet address allegedly using a Peer to Peer (P2P) network to share child exploitation material (CEM) files. Further investigations linked the address to a 53-year-old Munruben man.
Prior to the man’s arrest on 23 July, Brisbane JACET members and Australian Federal Police (AFP) forensic specialists executed a warrant at his home on 18 July. During the search warrant officers seized two external hard drives, both allegedly containing CEM.
The man was subsequently charged with:
- One count of using a carriage service to make available child pornography, contrary to section 474.19(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth)
- One count of possessing child exploitation material, contrary to section 228D of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld)
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child sexual exploitation are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Note to media: USE OF TERM ‘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) 5126 9297