Tasmanian man jailed for a decade for producing child abuse material created overseas

Police have reiterated the “abhorrence” of child abuse material after a Tasmanian man, who was turned away from Indonesia following an overseas tip-off, was jailed.

AFP Headquarters in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Police have reiterated the “abhorrence” of child abuse material after a Tasmanian man, who was turned away from Indonesia following an international tip-off, was jailed for 12 years in the Supreme Court in Hobart.

The 39-year-old, who pleaded guilty to a total of 55 Commonwealth and state offences including the procurement and abuse of children overseas, was ordered to serve at least half his sentence before being eligible for parole.

The court heard that the Australian Federal Police was first tipped off about the man in 2017, when it received 14 reports from the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an online user sending child abuse material via social media.

The following year, the man flew to Indonesia, where he was refused entry following an alert by the Australian Border Force.

Upon his return to Australia, the man’s mobile phone was seized, which was later found to contain child abuse material, and he was arrested and charged by AFP officers later that month.

In early 2024, the man pleaded guilty to a raft of offences, including engaging in sexual intercourse with a child under 16 years outside Australia, producing child abuse material outside Australia, and using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to person under 16.

AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle said law enforcement authorities remained committed to protecting the Australian community’s most vulnerable.

“The creation, sharing and possession of child abuse material is not only abhorrent, but also has profound and long-lasting impacts on the lives of victimised children,” Det-Sgt Hardcastle said.

“The AFP is working tirelessly with partners to protect children – no matter where they live – and arresting and prosecuting anyone involved in harming them and stealing their innocence.

“Our investigators and partners will continue to be relentless in their pursuit of anyone involved in the exploitation or abuse of children.”

Det-Sgt Hardcastle said Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation was driving a collaborative national approach to combating child abuse across the country.

Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, Det-Sgt Hardcastle said.

Originally published as Tasmanian man jailed for a decade for producing child abuse material created overseas