Dutton vows to hunt down ‘depraved’ pedophiles

Peter Dutton has flagged law reform to give security agencies the powers they need to protect children.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says the AFP has continued to combat child exploitation. Picture: AAP

Peter Dutton has warned “depraved” pedophiles that they will be hunted down, flagging law reform to give security agencies the powers they need to protect children.

Speaking in parliament, the Home Affairs Minister said the Australian Federal Police and AUSTRAC were detecting “more and more people” using the dark web and encrypted devices who “deserve to be caught” and “punished”.

Mr Dutton said the AFP had continued to combat child exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has triggered an increase in online crime.

“It is the reality that many pedophiles have been targeting our children online as they’re spending more time at home. Studying, talking to their friends, messaging, visiting websites,” Mr Dutton told parliament.

Citing the success of Operation Arkstone, which has charged nine men in three states and protected at least 14 children from harm, Mr Dutton said “depraved individuals” were communicating on the dark web and “remitting money to other parts of the world”, including the Philippines and Thailand.

Mr Dutton said in some cases it was “impossible for the police and the intelligence agencies to determine who these people are” if they used the dark web and encrypted devices.

“The government’s been determined for a long time under the Prime Minister’s leadership to make sure that we can reform the laws wherever they’re needed so that our policing agencies can protect children,” he said.

“If we’re unable to act and we’re unable to discover the messages, the ordering of services — which is what takes place in many of these transactions — we can’t save those children here and abroad.”

Mr Dutton also referenced the arrest of a 57-year-old man in Sydney on Tuesday, describing the allegations against him as “serious”.

“If people think that they can act online in an anonymous way they are sadly mistaken.”

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Labor endorsed Mr Dutton’s comments and recent child sex abuse arrests.

“Child sex crime is something that is beyond comprehension and it’s something that should be stamped out and we will assist in any way possible,” Mr Albanese said.