Kings Meadows man facing lengthy jail stay over alleged child abuse material

The 40-year-old came to the attention of the Tasmania Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (TAS JACET) after the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported an Australian allegedly soliciting child abuse material from a minor over social media.

Officers from TAS JACET searched the man's home on March 26, 2024, where they allegedly found child abuse images and videos, as well as messages with children, stored on the man's mobile phone.

The man's phone will be subject to further forensic examination.

The man appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on April 3, after being charged with one count each of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.

He is next expected to appear in court on April 26.

AFP Detective Sergeant Aaron Hardcastle said the federal police worked closely with national and international counterparts to protect children from harm.

"Trading these images is not a victimless crime," he said.

"Children are not commodities to be used for the abhorrent gratification of sexual predators."

TAS JACET was also responsible for bringing charges against a 48-year-old Gravelly Beach man who was found to possess child abuse material generated by artificial intelligence.

This man was sentenced to a two-year jail term by the Supreme Court late March, 2024.