Victorian River Region man charged with child exploitation offences

A man who was detectives say they had been investigating for a number of months has now been charged with possessing child abuse material.

Generic imagery of Katherine Police Station. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

May 1: Police saya 29-year-old man is currently in custody in Katherine after they charged him with child exploitation offences.

Police from the Northern Territory Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) said they travelled into a remote community in the Victoria River region yesterday to conduct a search warrant where they seized phones used to access child abuse material.

The man at the centre of the alleged offences was under investigation by detectives for a number of months, according to police.

The 29-year-old was arrested, taken to Katherine and remains in custody to appear in court at a later date.

He is facing four charges of possessing child abuse material, one charge of evidence destruction and another charge of failure to comply.

AFP Superintendent Gregory Davis said this was not a victimless crime.

“Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators,” he said.

“Our message to online offenders has not changed - if you procure, access and transmit child abuse material, we will find you, and you will be prosecuted.”

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Sarah Firth said NT officers would continue to work closely with their federal partners to target this kind of offending on all fronts.

“The creation and distribution of child abuse material is completely reprehensible and has no place in our community,” she said.

NT Police arrest man after alleged stabbing attack in Casuarina carpark

May 1: A 39-year-old was rushed to hospital after he was allegedly stabbed multiple times in the neck and back in a Casuarina carpark.

St John NT Territory Response Manager Craig Garraway said the alleged incident occurred about 9pm Tuesday outside Woolworths.

Police allege the altercation took place after an argument broke out over damage to the offender’s vehicle.

The offender then allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times in the head, neck, chest and arm before leaving the scene.

Mr Garraway said the man’s injuries were non-life threatening and he was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition.

NT Police Northern Watch Commander Justin Bentley said the alleged offender – a 32-year-old man – fled the scene after the alleged knife attack.

Police reviewed CCTV footage to gather a description of the offender who was later found and arrested at a home in Coconut Grove.

The 32-year-old was taken to the Palmerston Watch House and remains in custody assisting police with inquiries.

Detectives from Serious Crime have taken carriage of the investigation, and have urged anyone to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

‘Vital information’ from two witnesses to top end knife robbery sought by police

APRIL 29: Police believe two witnesses who may have been inside a Darwin restaurant when a man allegedly entered with a knife and demanded cash may have “vital information” to their investigation.

Police said they received reports of the incident at around 3.30am on Saturday, with the offender feeling the scene on foot before they arrived.

Police said the man’s face was concealed when he allegedly entered the restaurant, threatened staff and stole a quantity of cash from the till before fleeing.

Strike Force Trident are investigating the incident, and are urging anyone with information to or who may have witnessed the incident to

call 131 444 and quote reference NTP 2400041530.

Daly River dog squad apprehends three youths in ‘intense pursuit’

APRIL 29: The Northern Territory Police Dog Operations Unit says it has trekked nearly 15km through bush and billabong near Daly River to apprehend three youths.

The police were after the three youths after they allegedly stole a red Toyota 80-series from the Adelaide River Tourist Park just after 2am on Friday, April 27.

Police allege the stolen vehicle was spotted in the community, where they further allege the youth behind the wheel “performed dangerous stunts such as burnouts” and engaged in reckless driving.

Police also alleged the trio behind the wheel “endangered the lives of community members” and deliberately rammed the vehicle into a house.

The Police statement said they “promptly responded” and embarked on a “multi-hour search for the vehicle, which repeatedly veered off-road when sighted.”

The Police statement said additional support and a co-ordinated effort from Dog Operations Unit, Trident, Darwin Traffic OPs and Adelaide River was launched to apprehend the alleged vehicle thieves, who had abandoned the vehicle and fled into bushland.

“Despite the challenging landscape, the Dog Operations Unit tracked nearly 15 kilometres through diverse terrain including scrub, billabongs, where Patrol Dog Wedge even encountered a large boar, flood plains and an eerie forest, eventually cornered the trio,” the police statement said.

The three alleged offenders, aged between 14 and 16, were scheduled to appear in court today on multiple charges such as assaulting a police officer, reckless endangerment, breaching bail conditions, driving without consent and multiple property offences.

Youths threaten food delivery driver with hammer, police allege

APRIL 28: Police have arrested three youths who allegedly mugged a food delivery driver with a hammer in Darwin, riding off on his moped.

At 3.30pm on Saturday police received a report that three young people had allegedly approached the male driver in Ludmilla, threatened him with the weapon, and stolen the scooter.

The alleged offenders were found some time later and taken into custody.

They are expected to be charged with aggravated robbery.

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed or have footage of the incident to come forward.

Originally published as Victorian River Region man charged with child exploitation offences