A JAPANESE tourist has been arrested and charged after child exploitation material was allegedly found on his mobile phone at Perth International Airport.
Australian Border Force officers selected the 30-year-old for a baggage examination after he arrived on a flight from Tokyo on Saturday night.
During the examination, officers found more than 200 video files and images on his mobile phone.
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READ NOWDue to the large number of videos, investigators reviewed only a small selection, which it is alleged depicted the sexual abuse or exploitation of children.
The remainder of those files, and approximately 300 more videos on a separate application on the phone, will undergo digital forensic examination in the coming weeks.
The man’s visa was cancelled and his phone seized. ABF Investigators arrested and charged him with one count of attempting to import child abuse material.
He appeared in the Perth Magistrates’ Court on Sunday and was remanded in custody to reappear in the same court on November 29.
ABF Regional Commander for Western Australia, Rod O’Donnell warned that the possession of abhorrent child exploitation material was viewed very seriously under Australian law.
“Tackling child exploitation in particular is an operational priority for the ABF as part of its role in protecting the border from individuals who may pose a threat to the community,” Commander O’Donnell said.
“ABF officers have significant powers under the Customs Act to search the mobile phones and electronic devices of international travellers and they exercise those powers at airports around the country on a daily basis.”
The maximum penalty for the import or export of child exploitation material is 10 years’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $525,000.
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