News Centre

A West Australian man has been sentenced to 11 years and 10 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to 42 child abuse offences, involving the persistent sexual abuse of a young child.

The man, 25, was handed the term of imprisonment in the Perth District Court today (25 June, 2024), after pleading guilty in February, 2023.

The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) charged the man in July, 2022, after executing a search warrant at his Northbridge home and finding child abuse material on a number of electronic devices.

Examination of the devices revealed the man had repeatedly sexually abused a child known to him and filmed the crimes.

The investigation into the man started after WA JACET received a report from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding the upload of child abuse material to an online platform.

AFP Detective Inspector Andrea Coleman said the outcome should serve as a warning to those seeking to inflict harm on children.

“The AFP works tirelessly with partners in Australia and overseas to protect children,” she said.

“These are abhorrent crimes and our message to offenders is clear – if you engage in these activities, you will be found and you will face the full force of the law.

“Police have identified the Australian child victim in this matter and they and their family are receiving support.

“I’d like to thank the hardworking women and men of the AFP, especially those working in the JACET, who remain relentless in their pursuit of anyone involved in the abuse or exploitation of children.”

The man pleaded guilty to the following offences:

• 10 counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13 years, contrary to section 320(4) of the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA);
• Nine counts of indecent dealing with a child under 13 years, contrary to section 320(4) of the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA);
• 20 counts of indecent recording of a child under 13 years, contrary to section 218 of the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA);
• One count of producing child exploitation material, contrary to section 218 of the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA); and
• Two counts of possession of child exploitation material, contrary to 220 of the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA).

The man was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years and 10 months.

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 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.