- Published:
- Thursday 12 November 2026 at 8:32 am
This is a joint media release between the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police.
A Balwyn man is expected to appear before Melbourne Magistrates' Court today (12 November, 2026) after being charged over the alleged possession of child abuse material.
The Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET), comprised of investigators from the AFP and Victoria Police, began an investigation after receiving intelligence about a Melbourne man allegedly accessing child abuse material online.
Victorian JACET members executed a search warrant at a Balwyn home earlier this month (5 November, 2026), with assistance from AFP Digital Forensics, Forensic Search and Imagery, and Canine teams.
Investigators seized multiple electronic devices during the search warrant, which are undergoing specialist forensic examination.
A Balwyn man, 63, was subsequently charged with:
- One count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, contrary to section 474.22 of the Criminal Code (Cth); and
- One count of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, contrary to section 474.22A of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The offences each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years' imprisonment.
Victoria Police Detective Acting Superintendent Paul Lloyd, Cybercrime Division, said Victoria Police were committed to protecting children from harm and ensuring our most vulnerable were protected from those who sought to target or exploit them.
“Through coordinated investigations, we will identify those responsible and they will be held to account,” a/Supt Lloyd said.
“We will continue working closely with the AFP and our law enforcement partners to ensure anyone who exploits children online is brought before the courts. Anyone with information on online child exploitation is urged to come forward and report it."
AFP Detective Superintendent Ray Imbriano said the AFP and its law enforcement partners remained committed to identifying and prosecuting anyone who exploited children online.
“Online child abuse material is not victimless. Every image and video depicts the abuse of a child and causes ongoing harm to victims,” D/Supt Imbriano said.
“The AFP works closely with domestic and international law enforcement partners to identify alleged offenders, rescue children from harm, and to ensure those responsible are brought before the courts.”
The AFP and its partners are committed to stopping child exploitation and abuse and the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is driving a collaborative national approach to combatting child abuse.
The ACCCE brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into online child sexual exploitation and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the ACCCE. If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on Triple Zero (000).
If you or someone you know is impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation, support services are available.
Advice and support for parents and carers about how they can help protect children online can be found at the ThinkUKnow website, an AFP-led education program designed to prevent online child sexual exploitation.
For more information on the role of the ACCCE, what is online child sexual exploitation and how to report it, visit the ACCCE website.
Note to media
Use of term 'CHILD ABUSE' MATERIAL not ‘CHILD PORNOGRAPHY’
The correct legal term is Child Abuse Material – the move to this wording was among amendments to Commonwealth legislation in 2019 to more accurately reflect the gravity of the crimes and the harm inflicted on victims.
Use of the phrase ‘child pornography’ is inaccurate and benefits child sex abusers because it:
- indicates legitimacy and compliance on the part of the victim and therefore legality on the part of the abuser; and
- conjures images of children posing in 'provocative' positions, rather than suffering horrific abuse.
Every photograph or video captures an actual situation where a child has been abused.
Media Unit
153260
Updated