Registered sex offender charged with child abuse material offences following warrants

Between 25 March and 5 April, 2024, the ACT Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) conducted a number of search warrants across Canberra targeting sexual offending.  

One of these warrants saw a 26-year-old Downer man arrested and charged with child abuse material offences.    

In February 2024, ACT JACET received a report about child abuse material being accessed from an account allegedly linked to the man.    

On Thursday, 4 April 2024, police executed a search warrant at the man’s residence in Downer where he was arrested. During this warrant, police seized several electronic devices which allegedly contained child abuse material.    

The man faced court on Friday, 5 April charged with three offences – possess child abuse material, fail to report as a registerable offender, and using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.    

Another of these warrants saw a 52-year-old Curtin man summonsed to appear before court in relation to the cultivation of cannabis, possession of a firearm, and possession of cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime.  

Detective Inspector Stephanie Leonard from ACT Policing’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team said police continue to target child abuse material and other sexual offending in the community.  

“We understand that these matters are sensitive for victims, but I would encourage anyone with information about this type of offending to make a report to police,” Detective Inspector Leonard said.  

“Police take all reports of this nature seriously and will investigate them to the fullest extent possible. 

“If you have been a victim of a sexual crime, please report that to police. There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences in the ACT - it doesn’t matter how much time may have passed and it is never too late to report.”   

Members of the public who have any information about people involved in the possession or sharing of child exploitation material are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.   

You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report. 

Note to media: USE OF TERM 'CHILD ABUSE MATERIAL', NOT 'CHILD PORNOGRAPHY'   

Use of the phrase "child pornography" 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 captures an actual situation where a child has been abused. This is not "pornography". 

Note for journalists: Vision associated with these warrants can be downloaded from Hightail. (This link will expire in seven days.) 

MEDIA ENQUIRIES  

POLICE MEDIA — (02) 5126 9070,  act-police-media@afp.gov.au