A Narre Warren man, 65, has been sentenced to one year and seven months’ jail after pleading guilty to two online child abuse offences, including transmitting child abuse material via a messaging platform.
The Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET), comprising members from the AFP and Victoria Police, arrested and charged the man in April 2020, after the AFP received a report from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user transmitting child abuse material through the Wickr messaging platform.
AFP investigators linked the man to the account and executed a search warrant at his Narre Warren home on 14 April 2020, where they seized a mobile phone which was found to contain child abuse material (CAM) and text-based messages discussing and transmitting CAM.
On 1 February 2023, the man pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court to one count of possessing child abuse material and one count of transmitting child abuse material through a messaging platform.
On 6 February he was sentenced to 19 months’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of three months.
AFP Senior Constable Kelly George said the AFP and its partners would never give up their fight to protect children and stop those trying to harm them.
“This investigation should serve as a warning that we are dedicated to fighting child sexual abuse and bringing those who commit these offences before the court,” Senior Constable George said.
“We also ask the community to help us ensure we are effective in identifying victims and perpetrators.”
If you have information that could help law enforcement, please contact the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) at accce.gov.au/report
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or 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 are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, there are support services available at accce.gov.au/support
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at thinkuknow.org.au, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
