Child sex charges: Fraser Coast offenders caught in worldwide sting
Two Fraser Coast offenders who accessed child exploitation material were caught as a result of a worldwide operation targeting the criminal activity.
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Two Fraser Coast offenders have been exposed as part of an international sting targeting online child exploitation.
The 58 Queenslanders arrested on charges relating to child sex offences were among those charged worldwide in Operation Molto, an operation led by New Zealand authorities and co-ordinated by AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
The police issued an update on the ongoing operation on Wednesday, confirming two of the men caught were from the Fraser Coast.
Since the commencement of Operation Molto in 2019, Argos investigators in partnership with district police across the State, have identified and investigated Queensland user accounts linked to a cloud storage platform where child exploitation material was allegedly found.
As a result of investigations, Queensland Police executed a total of 71 search warrants across Queensland; from the Gold Coast to Cairns, from Toowoomba to Mount Isa.
A police spokesman said one of the men arrested as part of the operation was Maryborough’s Dylan Axel Mallam.
He was sentenced in Maryborough District Court in October after he pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child exploitation material.
The court heard he had 234 child abuse images on hard drives and his computer when police raided the home he shared with his parents in April.
A Hervey Bay man was also charged with offences relating to child exploitation material, the spokesman said.
He had also since been sentenced in court.
“Queensland Police are committed to working collaboratively with national, interstate, and international counterparts to target those who pose a risk to children in the community,” Crime and Intelligence Command Acting Assistant Commissioner Denzil Clark said.
“These results highlight the tenacity and commitment of the Queensland Police in protecting our community,” he said.
“The possession of child exploitation material is not a victimless crime.
“Anyone involved in possessing or sharing these images continues the cycle of victimisation and abuse of the children depicted in this material.”
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