Police allegedly make a sickening discovery on Australian man's phone - now he could face 95 years behind bars

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A Darwin man has been charged with serious child sexual abuse crimes after police allegedly made a shocking discovery on his phone during a random bag check upon his arrival in the Northern Territory.
The Australian Border Force launched a multi-agency investigation after officials reportedly found child abuse material when he was returning to Darwin on New Year's Day.
Authorities allegedly discovered sexually explicit videos and images of children on his phone, along with video calls from the man to facilitators in the Philippines, instructing them to livestream the sexual abuse of children as young as six years old.
On January 3, police executed a search warrant at locations where the man had been living, including a vehicle and a yacht, leading to his arrest.
He first appeared in court on January 7 and was remanded in custody, with a scheduled reappearance set for May 27.
He was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia, two counts of sexual activity with a child outside Australia, and one count of possessing child abuse material.
If found guilty of all five charges, the 68-year-old will face a cumulative maximum sentence of 95 years behind bars.
The NT News reported the 68-year-old did not appear before court on Tuesday and was instead represented by his lawyer.
The prosecution was granted an adjournment to gather 'outstanding material' they would need present to the court.
The case has been adjourned to June 24 for a preliminary examination on papers.
A Northern Territory special investigation unit provided information related to the alleged abuses to Philippines police.
Philippines authorities conducted an operation in April and arrested two alleged abuse facilitators and rescued the six young children.
AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the force would relentlessly pursue sex criminals.
'The protection of children is one of the AFP's highest priorities,' he said.
'All victims of child sexual exploitation experience lifelong harm because of the selfish actions of their abusers.
'The AFP will continue to work closely with local, Commonwealth and international partners to protect children from sickening abuse, and together identify offenders and bring them before the courts.'
ABF Commander Tracie Griffin said the vigilance of ABF officers at Australia's border was absolutely critical in protecting the most vulnerable.
'I want to commend the work of the ABF officers involved in the alleged discovery of child abuse material on this man's phone. Six children are safe because of their diligence and the work of our domestic and international law enforcement partners,' Commander Griffin said.
The AFP urged anyone with knowledge of an abuse happening right now or a child at risk to call police immediately on 000.