Argos detectives arrest multiple people who engaged in child exploitation

Multiple people have been arrested across Queensland in recent weeks charged with child exploitation offences.

A number of people who alleged engaged in child exploitation have been arrested across Queensland in recent weeks.

A 71-year-old man from Townsville was arrested on Monday.

Police allege the man was an administrator of a number of child exploitation networks that used encrypted messaging platforms and website.

He was charged with 59 offences, including possessing child exploitation material, distributing child exploitation material, administering a child exploitation material website and encouraging use of child exploitation material website.

He allegedly controlled and maintained the libraries of child exploitation material in encrypted networks and discussed hands-on sexual abuse of children on abuse networks with up to 500 co-offenders.

A 71-year-old Townsville man is arrested over alleged child exploitation offences. Picture: Queensland Police

After a search warrant was executed, detectives found a large amount of digital and printed child exploitation material.

The man appeared at Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

In a separate incident a 49-year-old man from Ipswich was charged after he attempted to procure a teenager for sex but it was an undercover officer posing as a child.

After the arrest, three children were removed from harm.

He was charged with one charge of using the internet to procure a child under 16 and one charge of grooming a child under 16 years by exposing them to indecent material. He is scheduled to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on February 2020.

Another 32-year-old Oxley woman was arrested on January 2022 after she also attempted to procure a teenager for sex who was also a child.

She was arrested on one charge of using the internet to procure a child under 16 and intentionally attending an address to meet the child. She is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 27.

Police are urging parents to speak to their children about online safety.

A 33-year-old Griffin man was arrested on January 18 after he had been identified using an online messaging application to distribute child exploitation material.

After a search warrant a number of material was found. He was charged with two counts of possessing child exploitation material and two counts of using a carriage service to access child exploitation material.

The man is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 20.

Meanwhile, police have urged parents to be vigilant on Safer Internet Day

Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson from Argos said parents should take active and ongoing measures around online safety.

“Every day, investigators from Argos see the prevalence of this global crime, including cases where children have been tricked or blackmailed into taking and sending sexual images of themselves, even when their parents are at home,” he said.

“These offenders are very skilled at manipulating children into sending intimate images, which are then used to blackmail a child.

“The trauma that this causes a child is significant and we urge parents to speak with their children about online safety.”