A 46-year-old man from Queensland is set to face court after being charged with serious child exploitation offences, following an investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The man is accused of attempting to groom a mother in the Philippines to allow him sexual access to her two young daughters.
Arrest and Investigation Details
The investigation began when the man was searched by police upon disembarking a flight from Manila in 2024. Following an examination of his electronic devices, investigators allegedly uncovered disturbing communications. Police will allege in court that the man used a phone messaging app to contact a woman in the Philippines.
The core allegation is that he attempted to convince the mother to grant him access to her daughters, aged 12 and 16, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with them. It is further alleged that he was grooming the mother to facilitate this abuse and that he made numerous demands for the woman to send him child abuse material, which she refused to provide.
Charges and Potential Penalties
Subsequent to the initial airport search, the AFP's Northern Command Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (NC JACET) executed a search warrant at the man's home in Blackwater, Queensland, on 20 August 2025. The town is located roughly 375 miles north of Brisbane. The man was arrested at the property.
He has been charged with one count of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside Australia. He also faces two counts of soliciting child abuse material via a carriage service, contrary to sections 474.22 and 474.22A of the Criminal Code Act 1995. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment if convicted.
Law Enforcement Commitment
The AFP has emphasised its determination to pursue child sex offenders regardless of where the crimes are planned or committed. AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer stated that crimes targeting children were among the most heinous. "Even if a person is attempting to commit alleged criminal acts overseas, the AFP has the skills and abilities to identify them and put them before the courts," Supt Telfer said.
The investigation was a joint operation with the Australian Border Force (ABF). ABF Superintendent John Ikin reinforced the commitment to protecting vulnerable children, stating officers would use every available tool to "detect, disrupt and bring to justice those who traffic child abuse material."
The man, who cannot be named due to Australian reporting restrictions on cases involving child exploitation, was granted bail by a Queensland watchhouse Officer-in-Charge. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
