A 30-year-old South Australian man is expected to appear in Berri Magistrate’s court on October 4 in relation to alleged online grooming offences.
The man was arrested after he was allegedly conversing with a minor online.
The investigation began December in 2021 after the SA JACET – comprising of officers from the AFP and South Australia Police – received a report from ACT Policing about child abuse material.
Members of the SA JACET executed a search warrant on the man’s Riverland home on 15 August 2022 where they located and seized a mobile phone.
The man was charged with one using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication with a child.
The maximum penalty for this offence is seven years’ imprisonment.
AFP Detective Sergeant Joe Barry said the AFP, together with its state and territory law enforcement partners, remained committed to protecting the community’s most vulnerable – their children.
“Our common goal is to protect children, wherever they live, and to ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts,” he said.
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation is driving a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into online child sexual exploitation and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Research conducted by the ACCCE in 2020 revealed only about half of parents talked to their children about online safety.
“An award-winning podcast launched last year by the ACCCE ‘Closing The Net’ is working to change that, showcasing that knowledge is power and that our only chance to help prevent this issue is if we bring a ‘whole-of-community’ response,” the AFP said.
The podcast series offers valuable tips and advice on how to keep kids safe online.
