21 August 2024, 2:37pm
Media Release
Tasmanian man charged with possessing child abuse material
A Mount Stuart man has faced the Tasmania Magistrates Court today (21 August, 2024) charged for allegedly possessing child abuse material.
The Tasmanian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (TAS JACET) arrested and charged the man, 28, earlier today after investigating a report from the United States National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user uploading child abuse content.
Police identified the Mount Stuart man as the alleged online user and executed a search warrant at his residence today (Wednesday, 21 August), where they located and seized electronic devices, which allegedly contained child abuse material.
Police will allege the man, 28, was uploading child abuse material on an end-to-end encryption messaging platform online.
He faced the Tasmania Magistrates Court charged with one count of possessing child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
He was granted bail with conditions and is expected to reappear in court on 19 November, 2024.
The maximum penalty for the offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.
AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle said the AFP was committed to identifying, targeting and prosecuting all offenders who abused and exploited children.
“The AFP, along with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to fighting child sexual abuse and bringing those who commit these offences before the court,” Det.Sgt Hardcastle said.
“Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators and anyone who views images and videos of children being sexually abused is committing a crime.
“Our investigators will continue to work tirelessly to track down and bring online child sex offenders to justice while protecting our children from abuse.”
The TAS-JACET comprises of the AFP and Tasmania Police.
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. 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 thinkuknow. 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.
