58 Queensland alleged child sex offenders busted in major global sting

More than 20 children have been removed from harm and 58 people have been charged with child sex abuse offences in a multinational effort to quash an international organised paedophile syndicate.

Police have charged 58 people in Queensland with 423 child sex abuse charges and helped remove 23 children from harm following a massive nationwide police operation.

Operation Molto, co-ordinated by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) in conjunction with the New Zealand Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs began in 2019.

The operation is part of a larger multinational effort known globally as Operation H, which has resulted in 153 children being removed from harm, with 79 in the United Kingdom, 51 in Australia, 12 in Canada, six in New Zealand, four in the United States and one in Europe.

The Australian base of Operation Molto was supported by hundreds of police and specialists across Australia, including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre.

Police executed 158 search warrants across Australia, charging 117 men with 1248 charges. The alleged offenders are aged between 18 and 61-years old and were employed in a range of occupations, including construction, transport, law enforcement and hospitality.

Some of the alleged offenders, who are also accused of producing their own child abuse material online, were in possession of material that was produced by a man arrested by the AFP in 2015 under Operation Niro, which resulted in the dismantling of an international organised paedophile syndicate.

The AFP described the material as “the most abhorrent produced.”

Police executed 71 search warrants across QLD, including in the Gold Coast, Cairns, Toowoomba and Mount Isa.

Of the arrests in QLD, a 30-year old man from Somerset Region was charged with 50 offences in August 2020 where it is alleged the man was sexually exploiting two children under 10 over a period of time and using an online platform to access and transmit child exploitation material.

The man has been charged with multiple counts of rape and indecent treatment of a child, using a carriage service to access and transmit child abuse material and weapon offences. The man remains in custody and is expected to appear at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on March 21.

23 children have been removed from harm in the major bust. Picture: generic

A second man, a 26-year-old Kingaroy man was charged with child exploitation material offences following the execution of a search warrant on October 23 2021. The man was charged with four counts of possession of child exploitation material, five counts of making child exploitation material, three counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material and three counts of using a carriage service to distribute child abuse material. It will be alleged that the man was found in possession of a large volume of child exploitation material depicting the sexual abuse of babies and toddlers. The man is due to appear at Kingaroy Magistrates Court on March 3.

Queensland Police Service Crime and Intelligence Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Denzil Clark said “the possession of child exploitation material is not a victimless crime. Anyone involved in possessing or sharing these images continues the cycle of victimisation and abuse of the children depicted in this material.”

AFP Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale commended the work of Australian police saying that “the work of police across Australia in rescuing these children shows that victims remain front of mind for law enforcement,’’

“The success of Operation Molto demonstrates the importance of partnerships for law enforcement, at a national level here in Australia, but also at an international level, with our colleagues in New Zealand and around the world,” Assistant Commissioner Gale said.

The outcome of Operation Molto has seen a reminder from police for parents to remain vigilant about the online safety of their children.

Victoria Police Cybercrime Division Detective Superintendent Jane Welsh said “I would urge parents to be vigilant and to proactively have conversations with your children about online safety. Children can be groomed in a matter of minutes – it’s so important that everyone understands the warning signs of unwanted contact, how to protect your or your family’s privacy online, and how to report any suspicious activity.”