A 33-year-old Sydney man has been charged with child sexual abuse offences against a boy living in the Philippines and is facing 10 years in prison.
Australian federal police officers were given information in September about a man in Australia who was allegedly engaging in the live online child sexual abuse of the boy, which was allegedly being facilitated by the child’s mother.
The mother and another woman who both live in the Philippines were also charged as part of a joint investigation by the AFP, Philippine national police and New South Wales police.
Both women, aged 22 and 37, allegedly facilitated the online sexual abuse of the boy and are charged with multiple offences, the AFP said.
“Those who prey on children anywhere in the world need to know that they are running out of places to hide,” the AFP assistant commissioner, David McLean, said.
“There are hundreds of law enforcement agencies committed to hunting them down and bringing them to account for their abuse or exploitation of children.”
AFP officers based in Manila identified the man as a NSW resident. In September NSW police arrested him at his home in Granville, in Sydney’s west.
The man was charged with planning for child sexual abuse offences outside Australia, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The AFP said the child has now been “removed from harm” and is being cared for by local authorities in the Philippines.
Ronnie Francis M Cariaga, a major general in the Philippine national police, praised the level of coordination between the police agencies, the speedy rescue of the child and arrest of the alleged offenders.
“To all those engaging in online sexual exploitation of children, let me be absolutely clear: there will be no leniency. For us in law enforcement, there is no greater priority than protecting our children,” he said.
The NSW police Det Supt Jayne Doherty said the force was committed to catching online child exploitation offenders.
“We will continue to work tirelessly, in partnership with domestic and international agencies, to disrupt offenders and rescue children,” Doherty said.
The Sydney man is due to appear before Parramatta local court on 15 November.
