A Queensland woman and a US man have been sentenced to a combined 18 years’ imprisonment for the sexual abuse of her child, as well as for producing and transmitting child abuse material.
The woman, 23, was sentenced by the Brisbane District Court on August 29 after pleading guilty in February 2024 to 21 child abuse-related offences.
The Brisbane Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) started investigating the woman after receiving information in early 2022 from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which identified a user transmitting child abuse material on Snapchat.
Brisbane JACET investigators executed a search warrant at a Marsden home in April 2022, where officers located a mobile phone containing child abuse material.
A girl located at the address was removed from further harm and the woman was arrested and charged with 21 offences, including Two counts of rape (domestic violence offence), contrary to section 349(1) of the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld); Six counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, under 12, as lineal descendent (domestic violence offence), contrary to sections 210(a)(a)(3) & (4) of the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld); and 10 counts of making child exploitation material (domestic violence offence), contrary to section 228B(1)(b) of the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld).
Others are one count of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(iii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); one count of using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to self, contrary to section 474.22(1)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and one count of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed through a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
Following a forensic examination of the woman’s mobile phone, investigators found evidence of further abuse being planned with a man located in Ohio, in the United States.
Officers from Brisbane JACET provided a report to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Cincinnati, and a man was arrested and charged. The man was prosecuted in Ohio, and in April 2024, he was convicted of one count of possession of child abuse material and one count of distribution of child abuse material and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
The Queensland woman was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and eight months’.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Tim Puchala said the case showed why the AFP’s relationship with international law enforcement partners was so vital for detecting children in harmful situations.
“The AFP and our partners around the world are working tirelessly working together to protect children and bring to justice those who harm them or seek to exploit them,” Detective Acting Superintendent Tim Puchala said.
“Child abuse causes significant harm to victims, which they carry with them for the rest of their lives – that is why we will not stop fighting to protect them, whenever and wherever we can.”
HSI Attache Ernest Verina said: “I commend the outstanding work by the Australian investigators and officers and am extremely grateful for their rapid information-sharing that took a sexual predator off the streets in the USA”.
“The dynamic and successful international partnership between the ACCCE and HSI is the best way to protect our children from online predators,” he said.
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