Four men have been charged with alleged child abuse material possession

Four Sunshine Coast residents have been charged by local detectives and federal police over the past month for the alleged possession of child abuse and exploitation material.

Australian Federal Police and Sunshine Coast detectives have charged four people in the past month alone for the alleged possession of child exploitation or child abuse material.

Sunshine Coast Child Protection and Investigation Unit acting officer-in-charge Ian Strong said detectives would continue to focus on investigating and bringing people to justice.

“Police remain vigilant and use a number of sophisticated methods in doing so,” Detective Senior Sergeant Strong said.

“Internet offending is not a victimless crime and it has far reaching impacts on the children affected.”

Damien John O’Brien

A 34-year-old Buddina man has fronted court after police allegedly found child abuse material on a SD card belonging to him.

Damien John O’Brien faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday, November 26 charged with possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service on October 7.

In a statement Australian Federal Police said the Buddina man was charged after the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States.

The report detailed an online user, believed to be in Australia, uploading child abuse material to the Kik messenger platform.

Inquiries by the ACCCE and the Brisbane Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) allegedly linked the 34-year-old man to the account.

A search warrant was executed at the man’s home on 7 October 2021, where investigators seized an SD card containing child abuse material.

Mr O’Brien’s bail conditions were discussed in court on Friday.

His solicitor Andrew George said O’Brien didn‘t believe bail conditions were needed.

Commonwealth prosecutor Breanna Finnegan said prosecutions believed the serious nature of the charge meant Mr O’Brien should be on bail conditions.

Ms Finnegan said the bail needed a reporting condition.

“These are standard conditions in regards to these matters,” she said.

“In respect to the reporting it is only one day a week, I understand Mr O’Brien doesn‘t feel that he needs to report however this is so the Australian Federal Police can monitor the defendant …”

Magistrate Rod Madsen said the bail conditions asked for by prosecution would be needed if the defendant was charged differently.

He said the conditions he believed were reasonable were those that prohibited Mr O’Brien from leaving Queensland or Australia.

Mr Madsen said he would also be need to stay at the agreed bail address.

Mr George told the court Mr O’Brien didn’t have a passport and said he didn’t have any objections to those conditions being in place.

Mr Madsen adjourned the matter to February 25.

Paul Bingham

A Buderim electrician and father has been denied bail after allegedly being sprung in a federal police raid in possession of mobile phones containing child abuse material transmitted from a social media account.

Australian Federal Police officers charged Paul Bingham with one count of accessing child abuse material using a carriage service and one count of possessing child abuse material accessed or obtained using a carriage service.

The 35-year-old was arrested and charged on Tuesday, November 23, after a search warrant at his home allegedly uncovered the material on two mobile phones.

Mr Bingham was denied bail in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court and had his matter adjourned until February 25, 2022.

Jye Stephen McCafferty

A 25-year-old Yandina man is on bail after facing court on fresh charges of possessing child porn.

Jye Stephen McCafferty appeared in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Friday on two charges of possessing child exploitation material.

Mr McCafferty’s matter was adjourned to February 4.

Scott Andrew Patterson

A Eumundi retail worker charged with possessing child abuse material ran from cameras after having his bail conditions changed to suit his work schedule.

Scott Andrew Patterson, 59, faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court this week on three charges including possessing, controlling child abuse material for use through a carriage service and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.

Mr Patterson’s matter was adjourned until January 29.