An Illawarra man has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison after attempting to groom a teenage boy in the United Kingdom through social media. He will be eligible for release on 15 August 2026.
The 62-year-old was sentenced at the Downing Centre District Court on 28 March 2025 after pleading guilty to six charges in November last year.
His arrest in February 2024 was the result of a coordinated international effort, sparked when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the agency’s London Post about an Australian man allegedly involved in online child sexual exploitation.
AFP Child Protection Operations officers apprehended the man at a property in Lake Heights, near Wollongong. A search of his home uncovered child abuse material and records of online communication with the boy stored on a computer.
Police said the man used social media to engage with who he believed was a 14-year-old boy in the UK, grooming him for sexual activity and transmitting child abuse material.
Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the case underscored the strength of international collaboration in tackling child exploitation.
“Our common goal is to protect children wherever they live and to ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts.”
The man was charged with multiple offences, including failing to comply with reporting obligations under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 (NSW), which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. He also faced four counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material and one count of possessing or controlling such material, offences under the Criminal Code (Cth) that each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.
“The AFP has strong working relationships with international partners, and this investigation shows how effective law enforcement cooperation is when identifying offenders in different parts of the world,” Detective Acting Inspector Tsardoulias said.
“We are committed to stopping any Australian who wishes to exploit the innocence of children—either living in their community or on the other side of the world—to fulfil their own selfish desires.”
The AFP and its partners continue to work to prevent child exploitation and abuse, with the ACCCE leading a national approach to combatting these crimes.
Support Our Journalism
Global Indian Diaspora and Australia’s multicultural communities need fair, non-hyphenated, and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. The Australia Today – with exceptional reporters, columnists, and editors – is doing just that. Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.
Whether you live in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States of America, or India you can take a paid subscription by clicking Patreon and support honest and fearless journalism.
