CANBERRA, ACT, April 17 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:

This is a joint release between Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force

A West Australian man is scheduled to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (17 April, 2026) charged with possessing child abuse material.

The AFP charged the man, 58, in October, 2025, and he first appeared before Perth Magistrates Court on 18 December, 2025.

An investigation began after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at Perth Airport stopped the man for a baggage examination after he arrived on an international flight on 17 October, 2025.

ABF officers allegedly found a collage of images depicting child abuse material on the man's mobile phone and reported the matter to the AFP. Investigators then seized the phone as well as the man's laptop.

The AFP executed a search warrant on 18 October, 2025, at a home in the Perth suburb of Bibra Lake, where investigators allegedly found child abuse material on a mobile phone. It will also be alleged the man accessed various websites containing child abuse material. A computer tower, mobile phones and other electronic storage devices were seized from the home for further forensic analysis.

The man was charged with one count of possessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth).

The maximum penalty for this offence is 15 years' imprisonment.

AFP Acting Inspector Josh Gilmour said the AFP remained committed to protecting children from all types of online harm or exploitation.

"Anyone who accesses, views or transmits child abuse material is a criminal and our investigators will relentlessly hunt them down," a/Insp Gilmour said.

"Children are some of the most vulnerable members of the community and that is why our teams work closely with local, national and international law enforcement partners to ensure those who exploit children, or whose online activities drive up demand for this abhorrent abuse material, are brought to justice."

ABF Inspector Tim Sutton said children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators.

"The ABF uses sophisticated, intelligence-led profiling to target high risk travellers. This routine border screening by specially trained officers is a critical tool in disrupting the spread of abhorrent material," Insp Sutton said.

"Every interception at the border of photo, video, or message file can prevent a potential crime and safeguard a child."

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 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. 

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.