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12 June 2020, 7:30am
Media Release

AFP charges Sydney man for possession of extreme child abuse material

A 68-year-old Lakemba man is due to face court today (Friday, 12 June) over allegations he transmitted the most serious category of child abuse material online.

The Australian Federal Police’s NSW Child Protection Operations Team launched an investigation following a report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in the United States.

The report alleged an Australian internet user had uploaded abuse images involving children online, categorised as involving the torture and sexual abuse of children. A 68-year-old Lakemba man was identified as the suspected user of this online account.

Yesterday (Thursday, 11 June), the AFP executed a search warrant at the man’s property.

Investigators seized a number of devices, which they allege contain child abuse material, and a digital forensic examination is ongoing. It will be alleged in court the man had obtained the child abuse material the dark web.

The man was taken to Campsie Police Station where he was charged with possessing child abuse material accessed via a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).

He faces a potential 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.

He is due to appear before Parramatta Local Court today (Friday, 12 June) via video link.

AFP Commander ACCCE and Child Protection Operations, Jamie Strauss, said these investigations reveal a sad reality about the demand for child abuse material in our communities.

“In homes across Sydney, we unfortunately have people who are seeking to view the most depraved acts of abuse committed against children,” Cmdr. Strauss said.

“We will not stop in our pursuit to bring this type of offending from the anonymity of the online world and before the courts.”

The Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and is at the centre of a collaborative national approach to combatting organised child abuse.

The Centre brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.

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.

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Note to media:

USE OF TERM 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL, 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 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".

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