WA man charged with child exploitation offences in relation to long day care story 

Before continuing to engage with this piece readers of The Sector should be aware that it discusses the abuse and exploitation of young children, and should consider their own circumstances and wellbeing before proceeding. 

A 57 year old West Australian man has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment for accessing and possessing online child abuse material, including a fictional story depicting children involved in sexual acts at a long day care centre.

He was sentenced on 10 April 2025 in the Perth District Court and will serve a non-parole period of three months.

The offences were uncovered when the Western Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) executed a search warrant at his Como home, following a report and information shared with them by the United States’ National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) about an online user allegedly transmitting child abuse material.

During the search officers found child abuse material on the man’s mobile phone which included more than 130 sexually explicit images and videos of young children and the story outlined above.

The man was charged by WA JACET, and pleaded guilty to two offences:

• One count of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
• One count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).

Australian Federal Police Inspector Shona Davis said anyone who viewed child exploitation material fed the demand for more innocent children to be harmed in its production and distribution.

“Behind every one of these images and videos is a child being subjected to trauma that could stay with them for the rest of their lives,” Inspector Davis said.

“Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators.”

“Our investigators work tirelessly to identify offenders to ensure they are prosecuted. Anyone who accesses, possesses and procures child abuse material is committing a crime and you will be tracked down and put before the courts.”

The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse, with the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) driving a collaborative national approach.

Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now, or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.

If you, or someone you know, is impacted by child sexual abuse or online exploitation, support services are available.

Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.

For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what online child sexual exploitation is and how to report it, visit the ACCCE website.