Police have removed 13 Australian children from harm and arrested 19 men during an investigation into a “technologically sophisticated” online child abuse network sparked by the murder of two FBI agents in the US.
FBI Special Agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger were shot dead by suspect David Lee Huber as they executed a search warrant on a related case in Florida in 2021.
The Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation began its investigation in 2022 after the FBI shared intelligence about Australian members of a peer-to-peer network allegedly sharing child abuse material on the dark web.
Two Australian offenders have been sentenced, with other men who were arrested remaining before the courts.
Most of the alleged Australian offenders, some of whom are also accused of having produced their own child abuse material, were employed in occupations that required a high degree of information and communications technology knowledge.
Members used software to anonymously share files, chat on message boards and access websites within the network.
Network members were able to search for and distribute images and videos of child abuse material and allegedly used encryption and other methods.
The alleged Australian offenders were aged between 32 and 81 years old.
It will be alleged some of the children removed had been directly abused, and that others were removed as a child safety precaution.
“Today we celebrate the rescue of 13 children,” FBI legal attache Nitiana Mann said at a press conference in Brisbane this morning.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider said some of those arrested had “potentially” been committing child abuse offences for up to 10 years.
In the ACT, five children have been removed from harm and two alleged offenders are facing 54 charges.
A public servant living in the ACT was sentenced in June to 14 years and six months’ jail after pleading guilty to 24 charges in the ACT Supreme Court.
In NSW, two children have been removed from harm and five men are facing 13 charges.
A call centre operator on the NSW Central Coast was sentenced in June to five years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to possessing an estimated five terabytes of child abuse material.
In Queensland, four children have been removed from harm, and five men are facing 45 charges.
In South Australia, two children have been removed from harm and five alleged offenders are facing 16 charges.
In Tasmania, one alleged offender is facing five charges.
In Western Australia, one man is facing five charges.
The related FBI investigation has led to 79 people being arrested for their alleged involvement in the network.
Police are not ruling out further arrests.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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