CANBERRA, ACT, June 26 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:
This is a joint media release between the AFP, Australian Border Force and PNP Women and Children Protection Centre.
Editor's note: Operation images and footage available for download.
Six children have been removed from harm in the Philippines following an investigation into a West Australian man accused of child abuse-related offences.
The children were taken to safety by the Philippine National Police (PNP) after receiving intelligence from the AFP about the investigation of an Albany man, 53.
The man is scheduled to re-appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (26 June, 2026), after being charged with child abuse-related offences earlier this year.
The AFP investigation began after the man was targeted and intercepted by the Australian Border Force (ABF) upon returning on a flight from the Philippines through Perth Airport on 26 March, 2026.
ABF officers examined his baggage, including a mobile phone, where they detected alleged child abuse material and communications with a Filipino resident suspected to be facilitating the procurement of children.
AFP investigators, with help from the Victim Identification Team at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), compiled intelligence, which was then provided to the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Center (PICACC), along with information related to the identity of the suspected local facilitator of the alleged abuse.
The matter was then referred to PNP, which conducted a series of operations to recover the children believed to have been exploited.
The Albany man first appeared in Perth Magistrate Court on 27 March, 2026 charged with:
* Two counts of engage in conduct in relation to a child, under 16, with the intention of procuring the child to engage in sexual activity outside of Australia, contrary to section 272.14(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years' imprisonment;* Two counts of accessing child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years' imprisonment; and* One count of doing an act to prepare for an offence involving sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia, contrary to section 272.20(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years' imprisonment.
Detective Acting Inspector Josh Gilmour said removing six children from harm demonstrated the importance of transnational collaborations with entities such as PICACC, which the AFP helped establish.
"The AFP is supercharging global operations through international partnerships like PICACC to protect children, remove them from harm and pursue those who target vulnerable communities here in Australia and around the world," Det a/Insp Gilmour said.
ABF Inspector John Sweet said the Australian border is a critical tool to disrupt the proliferation of child abuse material and protecting children worldwide.
"Digital examinations conducted by our highly trained officers can detect and disrupt the activities of offenders who orchestrate these abhorrent crimes both online and internationally," Insp Sweet said.
"ABF has zero tolerance for the importation, possession or distribution of child abuse material. As this case demonstrates, behind every image is a real child who has been exploited."
PNP Women and Children Protection Centre, Police Brigadier General Sheila Portento said every child rescued is a life protected and a future restored.
"This successful operation, through the combined efforts of the PNP Women and Children Protection Centre and the Australian Federal Police, demonstrates that through close coordination and exceptional intelligence sharing among law enforcement and our partner agencies, we can effectively protect victims and remove them from situations of abuse and exploitation," Brigadier General Portento said.
"We remain steadfast in our mission to ensure that no child is left behind in our fight against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children."
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.
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.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
