Police tighten the noose on global child exploitation network

Police have arrested 58 people at the close of a global operation targeting the people who produce, share and purchase child porn.

Police have arrested 58 Queenslands at the closed of global operation targeting child porn.

Queensland Police have removed 23 children from harm and arrested 58 people on 423 charges as part of an international operation targeting the production and distribution of online child exploitation material.

With help from the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, they raided 71 homes and businesses from Toowoomba to Mt Isa, and Cairns to the Gold Coast.

Labelled Operation H, the investigation started in 2019 after the ACCCE received intelligence from New Zealand Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs showing thousands of offenders were using a cloud storage platform to share abhorrent child material abuse online.

Investigations were able to remove 153 children from harm, including 79 in the United Kingdom, 51 children in Australia, 12 in Canada, six in New Zealand, four in the United States and one child in Europe.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Lesa Gale said the hard-work, diligence and co-operation of police across every state and territory should be recognised.

“The work of police across Australia in rescuing these children shows that victims remain front of mind for law enforcement,’’ Assistant Commissioner Gale said.

“Viewing, distributing or producing child abuse material is a horrific crime. Children are not commodities and the AFP and its partner agencies work around-the-clock to identify and prosecute offenders.

“The success of Operation Molto demonstrates the importance of partnerships for law enforcement, at a national level here in Australia, but also at an international level, with our colleagues in New Zealand and around the world.”

Those arrested include a 30-year-old man from the Somerset Region charged with 50 offences following the execution of a search warrant on August 13 2020 where it is alleged the man was sexually exploiting two children under 10 over a period of time and using an online platform to access and transmit child exploitation material.

The man has been charged with multiple counts of rape and indecent treatment of a child, using a carriage service to access and transmit child abuse material and weapon offences.

He is remanded in custody and expected to appear at the Brisbane Magistrates Court on March 21.

A 26-year-old Kingaroy man is charged with child exploitation material offences following the execution of a search warrant on October 23 2021.

The man was charged with four counts of the possession of child exploitation material, five counts of making child exploitation material, three counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material and three counts of using a carriage service to distribute child abuse material.

It will be alleged that the man was found in possession of a large volume of child exploitation material depicting the sexual abuse of babies and toddlers.

He is due to appear at Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Thursday.