A 22-year-old Melbourne man has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of 15 months, for child abuse-related offences, including possessing and transmitting child abuse material and grooming children online.
The Melbourne County Court handed down the sentence on 19 February 2025 after the Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) arrested the man in July 2023. The investigation was sparked by a report from a concerned mother about an Australian social media user soliciting child abuse material.
Police linked the man to the illegal activity and executed a search warrant at his home on 19 July 2023, where officers discovered child abuse material on his mobile phone. A deeper forensic examination of seized electronic devices, including tablets and laptops, uncovered hundreds of images containing child abuse material.
Investigators also found evidence of online grooming involving 10 children, with the offender attempting to procure self-produced child exploitation material by offering payments for explicit images and videos. The court heard that after receiving images, he engaged in ‘sextortion’—coercing and manipulating victims into sending more material under threats of exposing them to friends and family.
The man pleaded guilty on 5 February 2025 to 11 charges under the Criminal Code (Cth), including:
- Eight counts of causing child abuse material to be transmitted using a carriage service
- One count of soliciting child abuse material using a carriage service
- One count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence
- One count of possessing child abuse material obtained using a carriage service
AFP Detective Superintendent Bernard Geason urged parents to be vigilant about children’s online interactions, warning that signs of online grooming can include excessive screen time, secrecy, and social withdrawal.
“If parents suspect their child is engaging in harmful online activity, it’s crucial to have open conversations and provide appropriate support.”
Det Supt Geason also reassured victims that sextortion is never their fault and encouraged reporting such crimes to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
“This outcome should serve as a warning—those involved in these abhorrent crimes will be tracked down and brought before the courts,” he said, commending AFP and Victoria Police officers for their dedication to protecting vulnerable children.
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