A 70-year-old Wollongong man has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months, for a string of online child abuse offences.
The Wollongong District Court handed down the sentence on 23 April 2025, following the man’s earlier guilty plea to three serious charges, including planning to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
AFP Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias reaffirmed the AFP’s determination to protect children from harm.
“We cannot send a clearer message to offenders – if you engage in these abhorrent activities, the AFP will find you, and you will face the full force of the law,” he said.
“Planning or engaging in activities that seek to harm children has no place in Australian society, and this investigation should serve as a warning.”
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched an investigation in 2022 after the man was found participating in an online chat forum where he expressed a sexual interest in children and a desire to offend.
He later made plans to meet with another forum user who claimed to have access to a minor. However, the person he was communicating with was actually an undercover AFP officer monitoring his activity.
The AFP arrested the man and executed search warrants, including at his Mount Warrigal residence, where investigators seized a laptop containing child abuse material.
On 8 October 2024, the man pleaded guilty to the following charges: Using a carriage service to groom another person to procure a child under 16 for sexual activity; Possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service; and Transmitting child abuse material.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
