A 58-year-old Gold Coast man has been charged with child abuse material-related offences after a tip off from American police.
The Merrimac man was charged by the AFP Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) and is is expected to appear in Southport Magistrates Court today.
The investigation began in September 2021 when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about child abuse material discovered on a Dropbox account.
AFP JACET investigators allegedly linked the Merrimac man to the associated account.
A search warrant was executed at the man’s home, with investigators seizing a personal computer.
AFP Sergeant Bianca Warland said the AFP worked with international partners to help protect Australian children.
“Our investigators work tirelessly to identify anyone sharing or downloading child abuse material and to ensure they are prosecuted,” she said.
The man was charged with possessing child abuse material. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.
