Child Protection Week Operation Results in Multiple Arrests and Charges

As part of their ongoing commitment to protecting children from harm, South Australia Police's Public Protection Branch, in partnership with the Australian Federal Police, conducted a coordinated week of enforcement activity across South Australia targeting offences against children.

The operation resulted in:

• 32 compliance checks
• 22 searches of premises
• 7 arrests
• 24 charges relating to child exploitation and other offending
• 1 report

During the searches, investigators seized:

• 4 laptop computers
• 14 mobile phones
• 4 desktop computers
• 3 tablet devices
• 5 digital storage devices
• A child-like sex doll
• 10 firearms
• A sword

Those arrested included:

• A 64-year-old Seaford man charged with Possession of Child Exploitation Material
• A 56-year-old Aldinga Beach man charged with Possession of Child Exploitation Material
• A 34-year-old Tanunda man charged with Possession of Child Exploitation Material and Possession of a Child-Like Sex Doll
• A 25-year-old Seaford Heights man charged with Possession of Child Exploitation Material
• A 40-year-old Wallaroo man charged with Possession of Child Exploitation Material, Producing Child Exploitation Material, Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm While Unlicensed
• A 44-year-old Crafers West man charged with Possessing or controlling child abuse material accessed through a carriage service
• A 47-year-old man extradited from Western Australia to South Australia and charged with Producing Child Exploitation Material and Indecent Assault. The offences are alleged to have occurred in South Australia in 2022.

Acting Officer in Charge of the Public Protection Branch, Detective Chief Inspector George Fenwick, said the operation highlighted the ongoing collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation and abuse.

"While these offences were detected during a focused week of action supporting Child Protection Week, they reflect the important work undertaken every day by South Australia Police and the Australian Federal Police.

"Through our ongoing partnership, we work to prevent harm to children, identify offenders and hold them accountable for their actions.

"Every image of child exploitation material represents a real child who has suffered harm. Protecting children from exploitation and pursuing those responsible remains at the forefront of our investigations into these abhorrent offences."

AFP Detective Superintendent Simon Lalic said the AFP worked tirelessly every day with SAPOL and its law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt and bring to justice anyone involved in the harm of children.

“The dedicated members of the South Australia Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, comprising investigators from AFP and South Australia Police, trawl through hundreds of thousands of confronting images each year in pursuit of online sexual predators, to try to identify them, assist children at risk and make all children safer,” Det Supt Lalic said.

“Children deserve safety, dignity and protection. The vital efforts of the AFP and our law enforcement partners are critical to safeguard children, and our teams will use the full force of the law to find, expose and prosecute those who physically harm children and those who view and share material depicting these horrific crimes.”

Anyone with information about the exploitation of, or harm being caused to, a child is urged to contact Crime Stoppers online at crimestopperssa.com.au or by calling 1800 333 000. Information can be provided anonymously.