Greenvale man jailed for online child abuse offences

Tara Murray

A Greenvale man has been jailed for eight years for committing online child abuse offences.

The Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (VIC JACET) charged the 34-year-old man with possessing child abuse material after executing a search warrant at his residence and seizing electronic devices, including a mobile phone in February.

He was granted bail.

Subsequent forensic examination of the man’s electronic devices identified 17 online communications between the man and persons under the age of 16.

VIC JACET investigators carried out a second search warrant at the same Greenvale property in May with investigators discovering additional downloaded child abuse material on newly acquired electronic devices.

The man’s bail was revoked on May 21 and he was remanded in custody.

On October 12, the man pleaded guilty to 38 charges in the Melbourne County Court. The charges were two counts of using a carriage service to possess child abuse material; three counts of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to person believed to be under 16 years of age; 16 counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material;15 counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material; one count of using a carriage service for child pornography material; and one count of committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Last week, he was sentenced to eight years’ jail with a non-parole period of four years, nine months.