Samuel Joe Frost charged with child-sex abuse after four-year, international search by AFP, SAPOL and Interpol
An Adelaide man has been charged with child-sex abuse after specialist officers spent years studying images and data – eventually using sniffer dogs to search his home. Watch the arrest
Police & Courts
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An Adelaide man has been arrested after a four-year international child abuse cold-case manhunt that was allegedly solved with cutting-edge technology and highly-trained sniffer dogs.
Samuel Joe Frost, 46, of O’Sullivan Beach, faced the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Wednesday following his arrest on Tuesday.
He has yet to plead to 11 charges, including the persistent sexual exploitation of a child.
Mr Frost is further charged with eight counts of producing child exploitation material for use on the internet, and with publishing, possessing and controlling child exploitation material.
Documents filed with the court allege the bulk of the offending occurred between 2014 and 2017, as well as on the day of his arrest
They further allege the victim of the sexual exploitation charge was subjected to “more than one act” over a “period of not less than three days”.
On Wednesday, Mr Frost appeared in court by video link from custody, wearing handcuffs and dark clothing.
He faced the screen using his left arm to cover the bottom half of his face.
Mr Frost’s counsel told the court he would not be seeking release on bail, and he was remanded in custody to face court again in April.
His arrest was secured by SA’s elite Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, a co-operative effort between Australian Federal Police and SA Police.
AFP Sergeant Joe Barry told The Advertiser the arrest came following a global manhunt, started by Interpol and involving other law enforcement agencies.
He said that, in 2018, Interpol identified photos of a man abusing children had “likely been taken in Australia” and contacted the AFP.
Officers in Queensland, he said, undertook further work and found evidence that allegedly identified the photos as having been taken in Adelaide.
Sergeant Barry said SA JACET had “spent countless hours” analysing the photos and “piecing together clues” that “narrowed the focus” of their search to the southern suburbs.
He said officers then had a “major breakthrough” last week while using state-of-the-art computer software to further sift through the photos and “pinpoint” a location.
On Wednesday, he said, JACET executed a search warrant and seized electronic devices from Mr Frost’s home with the aid of specially-trained sniffer dogs that detect hidden technology.
Those devices, he alleged, contained “hundreds of images” of child abuse.
“The tenacity and determination of our highly-skilled investigators over a prolonged period of time led to this incredible breakthrough,” he said.
“We are relentless and will never stop our fight to bring offenders to justice and protect children, no matter how much time has passed or where they live.
“This arrest highlights the lengths to which our investigators will go to ensure (alleged) offenders are brought to justice and victims are provided the support they require.”
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