Media Release
WA man in court for alleged online child abuse offence
This is a joint release between the Australian Federal Police and Western Australia Police Force
An Alkimos man has been summonsed to appear before Perth Magistrates Court today (4 April, 2025), to face a charge of allegedly possessing child abuse material.
The Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) executed a search warrant at the 52-year-old's home on 4 February, 2025, after investigating a report from the United States’ National Centre for Missing Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user allegedly transmitting child abuse material.
During the search, officers seized the man’s phone. A forensic examination of the device allegedly uncovered child abuse material.
On 7 March, 2025, the man was issued a court summons for one count of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum penalty for the offence is 15 years’ imprisonment.
AFP Inspector Shona Davis said the AFP and local and international law enforcement partners were committed to protecting children.
“Any involvement in the exploitation or abuse of children, even if this is behind a screen, is deplorable,” Insp Davis said.
“Our message to online offenders has not changed - if you possess, produce or transmit child abuse material, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted.”
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse, with the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) 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.
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.
