Geoffrey Appleby arrested after ACT Police child abuse material raid
A police raid on a grossly overweight Canberra man’s home allegedly uncovered a trove of child abuse material and a hidden camera.
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A police raid in a quiet Canberra suburb on Wednesday uncovered a man’s alleged trove of child abuse material and a hidden camera.
Geoffrey Robert Appleby, 44, of Higgins, appeared briefly in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday after a night in the police lockup.
He is charged with two counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material and one count of using a carriage service for child abuse material.
He did not enter pleas and did not apply for bail, which Magistrate Beth Campbell formally refused.
Appleby, whose social media accounts show a bizarre infatuation with children’s toys and cartoon memorabilia, appeared to struggle to his feet at the end of his brief hearing, which he attended by video link.
In a statement, ACT police said investigators from the joint anti-child exploitation team executed a search warrant at Appleby’s house and found a hidden camera as well as the so-called child abuse material.
No charges have been laid over the hidden camera, the possession of which is not itself an offence.
Appleby returns to court at a later date.