An Education Department employee on the Gold Coast has been charged with a string of child exploitation offences.
The 54-year-old man was arrested at a home in Pimpama on Tuesday following the execution of a search warrant by Taskforce Argos detectives.
The investigation stemmed from a joint investigation between Queensland Police and the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
“It will be alleged the man was found to be in possession of CEM and using encrypted messaging applications to groom children in the Philippines for sexual activity,” Queensland Police said.
Officers have stressed that there are “no allegations that the man’s offending is related to his employment and no indications at this time that any children at the school have been victimised”.
The Department of Education is supporting the police investigation and providing ongoing support to the school community.
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Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson said the case shows police are dedicated to finding and identifying offenders targeting the most vulnerable members of our community.
“The issue of Live Online Child Sexual Abuse (LOCSA) of vulnerable children across the world is a significant concern and remains a targeting priority of law enforcement across Australia,” he said.
“This arrest highlights the Queensland Police commitment to protecting vulnerable children and bringing perpetrators of these disturbing crimes to justice.
“Law enforcement continue to share intelligence on a daily basis, working together to identify those who seek to hide on platforms they believe make them anonymous.
“Everything you do online leaves a trace, and our detectives will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to identify and prosecute offenders”.
The man was due to front Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with one count of possessing child exploitation material (CEM), and three counts of soliciting child abuse material by using a carriage service.
The man is also facing one count of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia, and one count of grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside of Australia.
Police say investigations by Argos into the full extent of the alleged offending are ongoing.
