UK man jailed in WA for online child abuse crimes
A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment by the Perth District Court for five online child abuse offences.
The man, a United Kingdom citizen who has been living in Western Australia, was sentenced on Friday (23 October 2020) after previously pleading guilty to possessing, accessing and transmitting child abuse material.
Officers from the Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) charged the man in April 2020 after an investigation sparked by a tip from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
NCMEC reported a person suspected to be in Australia was uploading child abuse material on to a social media platform. Police identified the 60-year-old man, who was living in Perth’s northern suburbs, as the person using the account.
Child abuse material (CAM) was found on his mobile phone by officers when they executed a search warrant at his home and they charged him with:
- One count of possess child abuse material accessed via a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- Two counts of accessing child pornography material, contrary to section 474.19 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth);
- Two counts of transmit child pornography material, contrary to section 474.19 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The Perth District Court has ordered the man must serve 14 months in prison before being released on a recognisance order that requires him to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
The WA JACET comprises Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police Force investigators.
Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation 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 www.accce.gov.au/report.
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