CANBERRA, ACT, June 12 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release:
Editor's note: An image from the search warrant is available via Hightail.
A Campbelltown man is expected to appear before Campbelltown Local Court today (12 June, 2026) charged with allegedly downloading more than 250 images depicting child abuse material.
Investigations into the man, 28, began in April, 2026, after the AFP received intelligence relating to an online user's cloud storage account being suspended due to the suspected presence of child abuse material.
Investigators allegedly linked the email addresses associated with the account to the Campbelltown man.
The AFP executed a search warrant at a Menangle Park property on 21 May, 2026, with officers seizing three mobile phones for further forensic analysis.
It will be alleged one of the phones contained 259 images depicting child abuse material.
The man was charged today with one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth). He was refused police bail to appear in court today.
He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment if convicted.
AFP Detective Superintendent Luke Needham said accessing child abuse material was not a victimless crime and perpetuated the demand for more content to be created.
"Anyone who accesses, possesses or transmits any form of this grotesque material is breaking the law and will be prosecuted," Det-Supt Needham said.
"The children depicted in child exploitation material are real people, and offenders who possess this kind of abhorrent material contribute to lifelong trauma they may suffer."
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) 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.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what is online child sexual exploitation and how to report it visit the ACCCE website.
Note to media
Use of term 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL not 'CHILD PORNOGRAPHY'
The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material - the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.
Use of the phrase 'child pornography' is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:
* indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and* conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.
Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
