Media Release
SA man jailed after sexually abusing children and amassing about 37,000 child abuse files
Editor’s note: Arrest and search warrant vision and video grabs by AFP Det Supt Adam available via Hightail
A South Australian man who sexually abused young children and collected more than 37,000 child abuse photographs has been sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment.
The O’Sullivan Beach man, 49, was sentenced today (14 November, 2025) by the District Court of South Australia to 19 years, one month and 25 days imprisonment, and must serve a non-parole period of 14 years and nine months. The sentence is backdated to 7 March, 2023.
Police identified the man as a result of an investigation that started in 2018, when INTERPOL alerted Australian law enforcement, including the AFP and SAPOL’s victim identification team, after establishing that child abuse images posted on the dark web were likely taken in Australia.
Further analysis by Queensland Police of the online photos pinpointed a location in South Australia. In 2021 the matter was referred to the South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (SA JACET).
SA JACET, comprising officers from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and South Australia Police, made a critical breakthrough after piecing together clues from their examination of thousands of photos posted online by the same offender.
AFP and SAPOL’s victim identification specialists within the SA JACET were able to narrow the focus of investigations to Adelaide’s southern suburbs.
In March 2023, SA JACET members executed a search warrant at a home in O’Sullivan Beach and seized 10 electronic storage devices, which were later found to contain more than 37,000 files of child abuse material.
The man pleaded guilty in February 2025 to:
- Nine counts of aggravated production of child pornography material, contrary to section 63 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA);
- One count of aggravated dissemination of child exploitation material, contrary to section 63 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA);
- One count of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- One count of possessing child exploitation material, contrary to section 63A of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA).
AFP Detective Superintendent Melinda Adam said the collaboration, tenacity and determination of highly skilled law enforcement investigators led to the incredible breakthrough that put a prolific offender before the courts.
“The AFP and our law enforcement partners are relentless in our investigations and will never stop the fight to bring offenders to justice and protect children, no matter how much time has passed or where they live,” Det Supt Adam said.
“This is not a victimless crime. Children should not be used as commodities for the gratification of offenders.
“The AFP issues this warning to any individual who would seek to prey on children: we are using the full force of our capabilities, resources and legislation to find, expose and prosecute you, no matter when or where the abuse occurred.
“The AFP encourages parents and guardians to talk to their children about their online activities, keep up the conversations and keep them open. It’s never been more important to understand the dangers we perceive in the real world are just as prevalent in the online world.”
AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the AFP-led 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.
