Half a dozen children as young as two years old have been placed in the care of child welfare services in the Philippines after two Australian men and two Filipino women were charged with alleged child sex abuse offences.
An international child sexual abuse investigation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) led investigators to arrest two women in the southern Philippines on November 14.
Six children were removed from harm in the Cagayan De Oro region and transferred to the care of social services.
The women, aged 23 and 43, were charged with a range of human trafficking and child abuse material offences.
9News understands the charges were triggered after two Australian men were charged for allegedly possessing and soliciting child abuse material connected to the young Filipino victims.
The joint-investigation was launched after Tasmanian police arrested a 41-year-old man following a search warrant of his Kings Meadows home.
During the search they allegedly found child abuse images and videos on the 41-year-old man’s phone, along with a text conversation facilitating the sale of child abuse material.
After further digital forensic analysis of the seized phone, AFP investigators determined that the facilitator and child victims were based in the Philippines.
The Tasmanian man was charged by the AFP with four counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material and four counts of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under 16.
The matter is still before the courts.
In April a second man, also aged 41, was arrested by the AFP at Melbourne Airport after child abuse material was allegedly found on his phone after he arrived in Australia from the Philippines.
A subsequent search warrant at the man’s house allegedly revealed evidence of contact offending against child victims offshore.
The Victorian man was charged by the AFP with several counts of possessing, soliciting, and causing the transmission of child abuse material using a carriage service.
He was also charged with one count of grooming a person to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16 outside Australia and one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia.
The man pleaded guilty to the charges on November 28 and is scheduled to be sentenced in April 2025.
Intelligence from the investigation was handed to police in the Philippines, as well as AFP investigators based in Manila, who located victims linked to both men.
AFP Manila Liaison Officer detective sergeant Daisie Beckensall said the case was a “powerful reminder” of the importance of the AFP’s relationship with international authorities.
“These children’s lives have been irrecoverably damaged and we know there are too many other children still at risk,” Beckensall said.
“That is why we will never give up our fight to keep children safe and stop those who try to exploit or abuse them.”
Philippine National Police Brigadier General Portia B. Manalad applauded the collaboration between the Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Centre and the AFP Manila Post.
“Our two organisations will continue to exchange intelligence in order to arrest further perpetrators and rescue more children,” Brigadier General Manalad said.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE.
If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 000.
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available.
