Media Release
Tasmanian man jailed for possessing child abuse material
A St Leonards man has been sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for possessing child abuse material after facing the Hobart Supreme Court on Thursday, 5 December, 2024.
The man, 48, will be released with conditions after serving 12 months' imprisonment.
The investigation began when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user uploading child abuse material.
AFP investigators linked the man to the illegal online activity.
A search warrant was executed at the man's St Leonards' home on 12 July, 2023 where investigators seized a hard drive containing 201 child abuse material files.
AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle said possessing child abuse material was not a victimless crime.
"Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators and anyone who views images and videos of children being sexually abused is committing a crime," Detective Sergeant Hardcastle said.
"To those thinking of obtaining this material, know that you are retraumatising victims and supporting a vile industry, and you will eventually be caught."
The man pleaded guilty on 27 February, 2024 to possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the 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.
