A young Hobart man has been arrested and charged after allegedly using social media to groom a minor, in what police are calling a troubling case of online child exploitation.
Tasmania Police allege the 34-year-old from Bellerive used social media platforms to “entice a person aged under 16 to self-produce child abuse material”.
He was taken into custody on Wednesday after officers from the Tasmanian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET), a specialist unit made up of Tasmania Police and Australian Federal Police members, executed a search warrant.
Investigators seized several mobile devices during the operation, which led to the man’s immediate arrest.
He faced the Hobart Magistrates Court last night and was granted bail under strict conditions.
The man is due to return to court in late June.
“Online child abuse is a serious crime type,” a police spokesperson said.
“Tasmania Police, with the support of its partners, is committed to stopping these crimes and keeping our children safe.”
