A 52-year-old man from Sydney has been charged after a significant quantity of child abuse material was allegedly concealed in his underwear and shoes at Sydney Airport. The man had just arrived from Fiji on June 25 and was subject to a screening by the Australian Border Force (ABF).
Upon examination, ABF officers discovered a substantial amount of child abuse material on his phone, which was stored across various applications. Reportedly, the man confessed to deleting some images prior to his arrival in Sydney. A subsequent search of his luggage resulted in the seizure of additional devices, including another phone, a tablet, a smartwatch, a hard drive, and a laptop, all of which were taken for further examination.
During a physical search, officers allegedly uncovered five hard drives hidden in his shoes and another in his underwear. Following these findings, he was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including the importation of child abuse material, using a carriage service to transmit such material, and obstructing Commonwealth officials. He has been denied bail and is scheduled to appear in court on August 19.
Australian Border Force Acting Superintendent Michael Mahony emphasised the importance of their work in protecting children from harm. He noted that each intercepted file could potentially prevent a crime and safeguard a child, highlighting the disturbing lengths that individuals may go to conceal their criminal behaviour. Mahony praised the officers involved in this case for their efforts in removing a potential predator from society.
Support is available for those affected, with resources such as the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service, reachable at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), and Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800.