CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 1 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:
Editor's note:Vision and imagery of the man's arrest is available viaHightail.
A South Maclean man is expected to appear before Richlands Magistrates Court today (1 October, 2025) for allegedly possessing child abuse material on his mobile phone.
The man, 43, was charged after AFP Northern Command Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (NC JACET) members investigated a referral from the United States' National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
NC JACET members executed a search warrant at the man's South Maclean property on 26 August, 2025 and seized a mobile phone.
Police allege the phone contained child abuse material, and was used by the man to comment on abuse material using a messaging app.
The man was subsequently arrested and conveyed to the Queensland Police Service's Richlands Watchhouse before being released on strict bail conditions.
He has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to possess child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code(Cth).
This offence carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.
AFP Leading Senior Constable Jason Comer said the AFP, together with its state, Commonwealth and international law enforcement partners, were committed to disrupting and preventing child exploitation.
"Children depicted in this abhorrent material are victims of crime, and anyone who accesses, downloads or transmits this content is also committing an extremely serious offence," LSC Comer said.
"We remain committed to working with law enforcement, government and online safety partners to identify, disrupt and prosecute offenders."
About the ACCCE
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.
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 theACCCE. 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 servicesare available.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at theThinkUKnowwebsite, 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 theACCCEwebsite.
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.
