A 47-year-old man has been charged by police after travelling from Victoria to Queensland allegedly for the sole purpose of engaging in sexual activity with, what he believed to be, a 14-year-old girl.
The man was arrested and charged after detectives from State Crime Command’s Task Force Argos intercepted him after his arrival in Brisbane overnight.
As part of Operation Mike Beau, Argos investigators identified the man as he allegedly used the internet to attempt to coordinate a meeting for sexual activity with the child. The man was unaware that he was in fact engaging with a Task Force Argos investigator posing as the child.
The 47-year-old man was arrested and charged with twenty charges including using a carriage service to ‘groom’ a child under 16 years of age, using a carriage service to transmit indecent material to a person under 16 years of age and using a carriage service to procure a person under 16 years of age.
He was refused bail and will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning.
Detectives have renewed calls for parents to remain vigilant about the dangers of their children using social media as this arrest comes in the middle of the school holiday period and on the back of the arrest of seven other men since November 13 who have been charged with online child related sex offences.
“The increased use of mobile and tablet technologies by children has increased the opportunities for predators to target children online. It has also created an environment that limits the ability for parents to properly supervise online activity of their children,” Detective Superintendent Cameron Harsley of the Child Safety and Sexual Crimes Group said.
“Parents need to remain vigilant about how their children use these technologies to communicate with others and ensure that they discuss a range of online safety strategies. Constant vigilance is also required and while increased alertness around school holidays is important, these type of offences occur every single day with Queensland children being targeted. Parental supervision is needed every day of the year,” he said.
For important information on how to stay safe online and keep your children safe, head to the police website www.police.qld.gov.au
