A 26-year-old Downer man has been arrested and charged with child abuse material offences after ACT Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) conducted a number of search warrants across Canberra targeting sexual offending.

In February this year, ACT JACET received a report about child abuse material being accessed from an account allegedly linked to the man.    

On Thursday 4 April, police executed a search warrant at the man’s residence in Downer where he was arrested. During this warrant, police seized several electronic devices which allegedly contained child abuse material.    

The man faced court on Friday 5 April, charged with three offences – possess child abuse material, fail to report as a registerable offender, and using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.

Another of these warrants saw a 52-year-old Curtin man summonsed to appear before court in relation to the cultivation of cannabis, possession of a firearm, and possession of cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime.  

Detective Inspector Stephanie Leonard from ACT Policing’s Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team said police continue to target child abuse material and other sexual offending in the community.  

“We understand that these matters are sensitive for victims, but I would encourage anyone with information about this type of offending to make a report to police,” Detective Inspector Leonard said.  

“Police take all reports of this nature seriously and will investigate them to the fullest extent possible. 

“If you have been a victim of a sexual crime, please report that to police. There is no statute of limitations for sexual offences in the ACT – it doesn’t matter how much time may have passed and it is never too late to report.”   

Members of the public who have any information about people involved in the possession or sharing of child exploitation material are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.   

You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button at www.accce.gov.au/report.