Newtown man jailed after pleading guilty to child abuse material charges
A Newtown man was arrested after police received a tip from US authorities that the 29-year-old was posing as the mother of an underage child to access child abuse material.
Police & Courts
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A Toowoomba man caught posing as the mother of an underage child on an online platform and transmitting child abuse material has been jailed.
Clay William Barden appeared in Brisbane District Court on Tuesday, August 3 where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to possessing or controlling child abuse material, using a carriage service to access child abuse material and three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.
The court was told the 29-year-old was arrested in Newtown on September 22 last year after officers from the Brisbane Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team executed a search warrant following a report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the United States.
AFP investigators found Barden had been using the online platform MeetMe to engage with other users while posing as the mother of an underage child and transmitting child abuse material.
In court Barden was convicted and jailed for three years and two months.
Detective Superintendent of the AFP’s child protection operations Paula Hudson said they work tirelessly with international law enforcement partners to keep children safe.
“Individuals who possess, access and transmit child abuse material are part of the problem. They create the market for child abuse material online, which causes further harm to children,” Detective Superintendent Hudson said.
“The AFP will never relinquish our duty to protect children online and in the real world.
“This outcome today should serve as a warning to those who seek to spread child abuse material – we will find you and you will be prosecuted.”
Members of the public who have any information about this network or people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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