A 62-year-old Bendigo man has been sentenced to 20 months jail for uploading child abuse material to social media.
The Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) investigation into the man began in March 2021 after the AFP received three reports from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an Australian uploading multiple videos containing child abuse material to social media.
The sexually explicit videos of boys and girls were transmitted to other users, the AFP said in a statement.
Investigators from the Victorian JACET – comprising members from the AFP and Victoria Police – linked the Bendigo man to the offending through IP address checks and verifying the mobile number connected to the account.
A search warrant was executed at the man’s home in June last year, with investigators seizing a laptop and mobile phone for forensic examination.
Police ultimately identified 848 video files and 512 image files containing child abuse material.
AFP Acting Sergeant Alan Giles said the investigation showed how closely Commonwealth, state and international law enforcement agencies work together to combat the exploitation and abuse of children.
“Our common goal is to protect children, wherever they live, and ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts,” Acting Sgt Giles said.
The 62-year-old will be eligible for parole after eight months.
