A Tasmanian man has had his home searched by authorities after red flags were raised in America over allegations of child abuse material.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Tasmania Police said, in a joint statement, that the search resulted in investigators allegedly finding child abuse images and videos, as well as messages with minors, on the 40-year-old man’s mobile phone.
They said the alert was first raised after a report from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was received about an Australian online user allegedly engaging with a minor via social media to solicit child abuse material.
“Trading these images is not a victimless crime. Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators,” AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle said.
“Our message to online offenders has not changed. If you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, you will be found, arrested and prosecuted.”
The man is now facing charges of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.
The maximum penalty for these offences is 15 years’ imprisonment.
The man is scheduled to reappear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on April 26.
