UPDATE 9.25am: Newborns and children aged up to 17 years old are the victims depicted in child abuse material uncovered by police, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton says.
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Twenty men were arrested last month in a joint Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police operation, a 57-year-old Heathcote man among them.
Deputy Commissioner Patton said the material showed children in sexually provocative poses, children being subjected to violence and torture, and children forced to commit “degraded acts”.
He said it was “abhorrent, offensive (and) disgusting” to make and view such material.
“This type of offending ruins people’s lives,” he said.
Superintendent Paul Hopkins, from the AFP, urged people to think about the fact that every single victim he had met had had their life “basically ruined” before they accessed such material.
The Heathcote man is expected to be charged on summons in relation to accessing child abuse material.
Deputy Commissioner Patton said one of the men arrested and charged in relation during the operation was a teacher.
He said he believed the man was a primary school teacher and was working in an administrative capacity on school grounds.
The man no longer had contact with children, he said.
Deputy Commissioner Patton said police were now analysing the child abuse material seized.
Identifying victims was part of this process, he said.
EARLIER: A Heathcote man has been arrested in a statewide police operation targeting those accessing online child abuse material.
Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police raided 20 properties last month, arresting 20 people.
The 57-year-old Heathcote man was arrested following the execution of a warrant at a Heathcote property on March 22.
He is expected to be charged on summons, along with two other men arrested during the operation.
Twelve men have already been charged, while another four have been released, pending further enquiries.
Footage from raids in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs and Geelong area. Video: Victoria Police
The charges for the operation include possess child exploitation material, access child exploitation material, transmit child exploitation material, and use a carriage service for child pornography.
One man was charged with drug offences.
Police allege items seized from the properties included computers, tablets, mobile phones, child sex dolls, illegal fireworks, a samurai sword, and drugs including cannabis and GHB.
Police also checked if any children were at risk or identified as victims of sexual abuse because of their connection to those arrested or the properties raided.
The joint police operation, Operation P2P, aims to identify and apprehend people involved in accessing, downloading and distributing child abuse material via peer to peer (P2P) networks online.
“Child exploitation images and online child sexual offences are some of the fastest growing crimes across the world,” Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said.
“This is fuelled by rapidly advancing technology and new social media platforms where the ability for offenders to create, share and consume this material grows every day.”
Deputy Commissioner Patton said it was important to target those accessing child abuse material online, because there were links between this type of offending and offending involving actual contact with victims.
“There is clear evidence that child exploitation material is sometimes used for grooming and seducing victims,” he said.
“Part of this operation was focused on establishing whether any of those arrested had moved from online offences to contact offending, and if there were any children currently at risk or who could be identified as victims of a sexual assault.
“These are not simply online choices made for sexual gratification – they are abhorrent crimes against children, the most vulnerable people in our community.”
Offences for the possession, distribution and access of child abuse carry penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment in Victoria.
Anyone with information about child exploitation material or related activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.