Cairns police charge Brian Palauskaus, 26, and Anton Ford, 41, with child exploitation offences
Two men appeared in Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday facing child exploitation charges, while a woman faced separate charges including supply of drugs to a minor.
Cairns
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Two men and a woman have been charged by the Cairns Child Protection and Investigation Unit and fronted the Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday.
The latest arrests follow an investigation by officers working with Operation Uniform Kalahari that has been set up to stamp out the grooming and exploitation of vulnerable young people in the Cairns area since January this year.
To date, detectives have charged 10 men and one woman with a total of 245 charges as part of Operation Uniform Kalahari.
On October 18, detectives charged 38-year-old Brinsmead woman Shantali Suzann Bramble with a total of six offences including three counts each of wounding, (which related to the alleged injecting of intravenous drugs) and supplying dangerous drugs to a minor under 16-years.
She fronted Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday and was released on bail to reappear on February 1, 2023.
On November 10, 26-year-old Woree man Brian Palauskaus was apprehended by police and charged with seven of aggravated supply of dangerous drugs to a minor under 16, six of carnal knowledge of a child under 16, two of grooming a child under 16, five counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, five of making child exploitation material, one of possessing child exploitation material and one count of serious assault/obstruct police.
His matter was heard before Joe Pinder in Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday.
Mr Palauskaus was remanded in custody for a committal mention slated for early February next year
On Sunday detectives charged a 41-year old White Rock man, Anton Ford, with 10 counts of supply dangerous drugs to minors and three counts of wounding. He appeared in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday.
Mr Ford was remanded in custody until February 1, 2023, no bail application was made.
Officer in Charge of the Cairns District Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Gooiker said it had taken officers some time to locate the alleged offenders following the issuing of arrest warrants and investigations so far revealed those arrested acted independently of each other.
“There’s no suggestion at the moment that there’s a strong connection between them, however, it will be alleged that they’re involved in selling drugs to children or young people,” he said.
“And some of them are (allegedly) involved with being involved in offending against young people.”
Sgt Gooiker praised the courage of the young people that had come forward to provide information about alleged offenders.
“Operation Kalahari was instigated to investigate allegations that some people were exploiting young people by providing them with drugs for either other things or sexual favours,” he said.
“Queensland Police treats these sorts of matters with the utmost importance. And given a very high priority for investigation.
“And we have taken every step we can to try and bring people to justice that have committed these offences. In this case I’d like to compliment a lot of these young people for having the immense bravery they’ve shown to come forward and tell us about what’s happened.”
Of the 11 charged during the operation most have been remanded in custody, Sgt Gooiker said. The CPIU head declined to say if child complainants were under child safety protection orders or were wards of the state living in residential care home facilities.
But he did describe the complainants as “our most vulnerable children”.
“And we need to make sure that they’re safe and not exposed to things like ice and drugs like that,” he said.
On November 7, detectives charged a 36-year-old Parramatta Park man with two counts each of indecent treatment of a child under 16-years, supplying dangerous drugs to a minor under 16-years and one count of wounding.
He is scheduled to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on November 24.
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Originally published as Cairns police charge Brian Palauskaus, 26, and Anton Ford, 41, with child exploitation offences
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