Shocking revelations revealed regarding human trafficking on Sunshine Coast

A shocking world of human trafficking and child sex exploitation has been revealed with claims organised crime groups are preying upon vulnerable children and it is “happening in most communities”.

Child safety and cybersecurity experts, as well as a local MP have called for a collaborative approach to end human trafficking and child sex exploitation on the Sunshine Coast, with new cases being reported every week.

Child safety and cybersecurity experts as well as a Sunshine Coast MP have called for a collaborative approach to end human trafficking and child sex exploitation in Queensland with new cases being consulted on every week.

Sunshine Coast-based child intervention and protection program Project Paradigm consults on new cases of child sex exploitation on the Sunshine Coast every week.

The program’s principal adviser Conrad Townson described it as a significant issue impacting regional Queensland communities.

“Every week since the beginning of this year, I’ve consulted on cases from across the Sunshine Coast region, concerning young people who are being sexually exploited and in some cases trafficked over a period of time,” Mr Townson said.

“The reality is what we know from what we see nationally is that it’s happening in most communities, it’s just not being picked up properly.”

Conrad Townson and Dennis Desmond discuss human trafficking on the Sunshine Coast. Photo: Patrick Woods.

His shocking claim comes as data provided from the Australian Federal Police has revealed the number of reports of human trafficking and slavery offences received between 2018 and 2023.

According to the AFP, there have been 1301 human trafficking and slavery offences reported over the last five years, with 67 of those offences reported as child trafficking.

While there is no local breakdown available of those statistics, Mr Townson authored a report that explored the prevalence of child sexual exploitation throughout the Sunshine Coast.

In forming that report, a study was conducted with a Sunshine Coast working group that reviewed 35 cases of child sex exploitation across the region.

The study was compiled in response to anecdotal reports of child sex exploitation from support workers from across the Sunshine Coast.

YOUNG PEOPLE BEING TRAFFICKED FOR SEX AS FAR AS ROCKHAMPTON

Out of the study came accounts of young people reporting to support workers that they had been trafficked interstate and as far north as Rockhampton to have sex with multiple men.

One case reviewed by the working group saw a mother and father relocate their family 40 kilometres away in an attempt to distance their 14-year-old daughter from her abusers.

Mr Townson said that data collated by the Sunshine Coast multi-agency working group highlighted the prevalence of the issue across the region.

“What we have seen on the coast in relation to child exploitation and human trafficking is a significant issue,” he said.

“We actually saw case studies where young people had been groomed by organised gangs and then trafficked from the Sunshine Coast to Rockhampton, trafficked as far south as Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay and sexually exploited.”

Mr Townson said there have also been cases of child trafficking attempts being thwarted on the Sunshine Coast.

“We’ve seen cases here on the Sunshine Coast where young people have been groomed and arrangements have been made by perpetrators for them to board flights to go to places like Melbourne,” he said.

“Thankfully, those cases have been the ones we know of have been picked up ahead of time and have been prevented.”

Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace said it was crucial that frontline workers were prepared to identify and assist young people who may be at risk.

“I think part of the issue here is that identification of this happening is an issue,” Mr Wallace said.

“I know that the work that Conrad (Townson) is doing with Project Paradigm is essentially about educating social workers, psychologists, police, ambulance officers, to identify whether a young person is a risk.”

Federal Member for Fisher Andrew Wallace MP.

Mr Wallace added that most people living on the Sunshine Coast would have “absolutely no comprehension” of child trafficking and sexual exploitation happening in the region.

“I think there would have been a lot of instances that would have been going on and occurring under our noses, and that includes under the noses of our police and emergency service workers,” he said.

“I think that’s where the real value of the work that Conrad has been doing is teaching those frontline workers to be able to identify young people who are at risk.

“The concept of trafficking of young children, essentially for sex, is really an anathema to most people.”

HUMAN TRAFFICKING ‘GROWING PROBLEM’

Former FBI special agent-turned cybersecurity lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast Dr Dennis Desmond said that human trafficking was a “growing problem” on the Sunshine Coast.

Conrad Townson and Dennis Desmond say that human trafficking is “growing problem” on the Sunshine Coast. Photo: Patrick Woods.

“It’s a growing problem because they’re looking for disaffected children, children who maybe having individual problems or are disaffected from their parents,” Dr Desmond said.

“From a trafficking perspective, different types of organised groups are able to identify children who are disaffected and then recruit them into a trafficking situation.

“These kids are specifically targeted and used for sex and are traded for sex across Queensland.”

Dr Desmond said that kids are being targeted through multiple platforms for human trafficking purposes.

“They’re using multiple platforms to identify these children, through gaming platforms, through social media, through forums, and those types of avenues,” he said.

“These tools are making it easier for criminals and paedophiles to target and recruit children.”

Dr Desmond added that a collaborative approach was needed to stop human trafficking.

“It’s been happening for quite a while and unfortunately it has not received the attention that it should,” he said.

“We have to do better at protecting children from online paedophiles and criminals.”