A US child protection agency tip-off has led to a middle-aged Brisbane man facing court on child abuse charges, including using a social media account to upload material.
Australian Federal Police investigated the Moreton Bay region man in July following reports from US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
A subsequent AFP raid at a Deception Bay home on Thursday allegedly uncovered four mobile phones that were forensically examined and allegedly found to contain child abuse material.
An Instagram account was also allegedly used to upload the child abuse material, the AFP said.
AFP Acting Superintendent Tim Puchala said accessing and distributing child abuse material fuels an industry profiting off the trauma inflicted on the most innocent and vulnerable in our society.
“There is a real child behind every photo or video distributed online. That child has been placed in the most horrific situation and is not just an image on a screen,” Superintendent Puchala said.
“Child protection investigators will look into every report of child sexual abuse to stop the exploitation of children and bring to justice the people contributing to this abhorrent industry.”
The 55-year-old has been charged with possessing child abuse material, obtained or accessed using a carriage service, using a carriage service to access child abuse material and using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.
He faces a maximum 15 years in jail if convicted.
The man faced Caboolture Magistrates Court on Friday, and his case was adjourned until November 24
