A 61-year-old Hurstbridge man who paid for child exploitation material to be transmitted live from the Philippines on a web-cam has walked free from court due to “exceptional circumstances”.
The man pleaded guilty in June this year to transmitting child abuse material offences, including paying for explicit pictures and videos of a child in the Philippines.
He was ordered to serve five months imprisonment by Melbourne County Court this week but was immediately released from custody due to “exceptional circumstances with respect to family carer responsibilities” the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement today.
Investigators from the Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) arrested and charged the man in September 2021, following an investigation which began with a referral from Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).
The referral related to suspicious transfers made from Australia to offshore accounts. Australian authorities identified 173 individual money transfers to accounts in the Philippines over a six month period in 2021 some of which were payments for child abuse material.
When the Victorian JACET – which consists of AFP and Victoria Police officers – searched the man’s home in Melbourne’s north eastern suburbs in August last year they seized multiple electronic devices. After extensive digital forensic analysis – child abuse material was identified and the man was arrested, the AFP said in a statement.
An AFP digital forensic examination also uncovered records of online conversations between the man and facilitators of live distance child abuse, it said.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Jonelle Lancashire said the internet allowed child sex offenders to connect with each other even if they lived thousands of kilometres from each other in different countries.
“The AFP is working tirelessly with both domestic and international partners to identify and stop anyone involved in harming children,” Det A/Supt Lancashire said
“Children are being forced to endure horrific pain, violence and humiliation for the gratification of depraved adults and this causes lifelong physical and emotional harm.
“We will never give up our fight to protect children and prosecute anyone involved in this vile behaviour.”
AUSTRAC National Manager Intelligence Partnerships, Jon Brewer said financial intelligence was critical to disrupting crimes that have a devastating impact on the community.
“It was the highly specialised capabilities of AUSTRAC analysts which resulted in the financial intelligence that triggered this investigation into child exploitation,” Mr Brewer said.
“Without financial intelligence, many crimes would go undetected, which is why AUSTRAC works closely with law enforcement partners in order to identify, prevent and disrupt crimes that have devastating consequences on the community.”
