A 71-year-old Western Australian man who paid more than $443,000 to sexually abuse children overseas via webcam from his Geraldton home has been sentenced to 14 years jail by the WA District Court.
The man had pleaded guilty in November last year to 58 offences including persistent sexual abuse of a child outside Australia, procuring a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia and soliciting and possessing child abuse material.
The WA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team arrested and charged the man in September 2020 after he was identified from financial data collected during a separate child protection investigation in South Australia.
During a search warrant at his home investigators found child abuse material on electronic devices, including images of girls as young as seven in sexually explicit poses.
Further forensic examination of his devices revealed the man had communicated via internet telecommunications apps with dozens of girls in the Philippines.
He procured children to engage in sexually explicit acts or be sexually abused on camera which he watched live from his home. He organised the exploitation and abuse through adult facilitators or the young victims themselves by sending them money.
In one recorded chat he urged a girl who had just turned 13 not to tell other people, saying it “might get me in trouble with police and you to (sic)”. He also threatened to share photographs of another girl with his friends if she did not engage in sexual activity for him to watch live on his computer.
AFP Commander John Tanti said the AFP and its partners, both in Australia and overseas, were committed to tracking down and charging anyone involved in exploiting and sexually abusing children.
“It is heart-breaking that vulnerable children are being degraded to satisfy the desires of these offenders, the impact of this abuse continues long after the images or videos are recorded,” he said.
“AFP investigators are committed to tracking down those responsible for inflicting harm on young children and bringing them to account for their despicable acts.”
The man has been ordered to serve nine years before being eligible to apply for parole.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.accce.gov.au/report. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
