Media Release
Canberra man in court for online child abuse charges after being arrested moments before flight to Chile
This is a joint media release between Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force.
A Canberra man, 21, is expected to appear in Downing Centre Local Court today (4 June, 2025) after he was charged with online child abuse offences before boarding a flight to Santiago, Chile.
Australian Border Force (ABF) officers examined the man’s baggage at Sydney Airport on 22 April, 2025, after he returned to Australia on an international flight and seized a mobile phone for further examination.
ABF notified the AFP of suspected child abuse material on the phone and ACT Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) began an investigation.
Yesterday (3 June, 2025) ABF members notified the AFP the man was due to depart Sydney for Santiago, Chile.
AFP members arrested the man before he could travel, conveyed him to Mascot Police Station and charged him with:
One count of possess or control child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.
Three counts of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iv) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.
One count of intentionally import tier 2 goods, namely child abuse material into Australia, contrary to section 233BAB(5) of the Customs Act 1901 (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years’ imprisonment.
ACT JACET executed a search warrant at the man’s Ngunnawal home and seized an electronic device for forensic examination.
AFP Detective Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the charges demonstrated the commitment from AFP and partners to investigate alleged offenders and bring them before the courts.
“Law enforcement will not stop the fight against child sexual abuse,” Det Insp Tsardoulias said.
“Our investigators are relentless in their pursuit of anyone possessing, sharing or accessing this awful material.”
ABF Superintendent Elke West said the case was a clear example of how ABF’s airport screening was a critical tool in disrupting the trade and transmission of child abuse material.
“ABF officers, with our law enforcement partners, work day and night to eradicate the possession of child abuse material,” Superintendent West said.
“Those who think they can cross borders undetected with this abhorrent material are mistaken.
“Our specially trained officers are alert to signs of exploitation, and use all powers available to us to protect all Australians, especially our most vulnerable.”
ACT Police Detective Acting Inspector Michael Freeman said law enforcement teams worked tirelessly to catch perpetrators.
“The law enforcement network of investigators assigned to JACETs enable teams across Australia to work jointly without hesitation to pursue people who access or share this material,” Det a/Insp Freeman said.
“If you are engaging in this behaviour you will be identified and investigated regardless of where you are in Australia.”
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.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, 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.
