Media Release
WA man charged with allegedly possessing and transmitting child abuse material
This is a joint release between the Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police Force
Editor’s note: Arrest vision available via Hightail.
A Halls Head man is expected to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (18 July, 2025) charged with allegedly possessing and transmitting child abuse material on a free instant messaging application.
An investigation began in March 2025, when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from Interpol UK about a user allegedly sharing child abuse material on a free messaging application.
AFP investigators allegedly linked the man, 27, to the illegal activity.
Investigators who executed a search warrant at the man’s Halls Head home on 24 June, 2025, allegedly found indecent images of children in a messaging application on a mobile phone he owned. They seized the device for forensic examination.
The man was charged with:
- One count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- Six counts of using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for each of the offences is 15 years' imprisonment.
AFP Acting Inspector Scott Caulfield said the AFP remained committed to the protection of children, who were among the most vulnerable members of the community.
“Anyone who views this horrific material is committing a crime,’’ a/Insp Caulfield said.
“Our message to offenders has not changed. If you procure, access or transmit child abuse material, you will be located and prosecuted.”
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the ACCCE is driving a collaborative national approach.
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 online child sexual exploitation is and how to report it visit the ACCCE website.
Notes 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.
