Mother and daughter accused of making and distributing child exploitation material back in Toowoomba court

Two women, aged in their 40s and 20s, along with a man in his 30s, stand accused of making and distributing child exploitation material at the family home by allegedly claiming the Australian Federal Police wanted the images.

A mother and daughter accused of making and distributing child exploitation material allegedly involving another member of their family have had their cases mentioned before Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Neither of the two women were required to appear in court when their matters were mentioned separately on Thursday.

The pair, aged in their 40s and 20s respectively, and a man, aged in his 30s, believed to be the older woman’s ex-partner, are accused of making and distributing child exploitation material involving another female member of the family.

Police claim the man was the principal offender and was allegedly involved in the indecent treatment of his two stepdaughters aged between 14 and 17 at the time.

When the trio initially appeared in court in August, it was claimed a breakdown of a relationship and a domestic violence complaint had allegedly uncovered the man’s degrading behaviour in pressuring his former partner and her children into making child exploitation material by claiming the Australian Federal Police wanted the images.

Toowoomba Courthouse in Hume Street.

The matters came to light when the girls’ mother went to police to take out a domestic violence application against her former partner, and during the process the alleged child sex offences were revealed.

None of the three have as yet been required to enter any pleas to their respective charges which include making and distributing child exploitation material and indecent treatment of a child under 16.

Solicitor Alysha Jacobsen, of Bouchier Khan Lawyers, for the 41-year-old woman, told the court on Thursday that her client’s matters were ready to proceed to registry committal hearing to go up to the District Court.

Acting Magistrate Roger Stark therefore remanded the woman in custody and adjourned her matters for mention back in the same court on January 19 by which time it was expected the case would have gone up to the District Court.

Solicitor Ryan McCullough, of MacDonald Law, for the 20-year-old woman, said he had received the police brief of evidence and was seeking funding for a barrister.

Mr Stark remanded the 20-year-old woman on bail and adjourned her case for mention on January 12.

The accused man, who has been held in custody since his arrest in August, has had his matters adjourned to January.

Originally published as Mother and daughter accused of making and distributing child exploitation material back in Toowoomba court