‘Getting worse’: inquiry’s chilling child abuse warning
The horrific online sexual exploitation and physical abuse of children is getting worse as authorities admit they are scrambling to protect vulnerable children.
The federal police made a shocking admission at the Senate inquiry on Wednesday, admitting that they were “one step behind” pedophilia due to technological advances.
A disturbing rise in abuse has emerged as senior civil servants and child protection workers are questioned over cases of abusers targeting childcare centers and children in care.
Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said the sophistication of online child sexual exploitation continues to grow almost unchecked.
“I’m going to be honest… the crime of online child sexual exploitation is not getting better, it’s getting worse,” he said.
“I’m not sharing this to scare the public, but I acknowledge it may shock some caregivers and parents.”
Mr McCartney added that the information could be challenging to hear, but people needed to be aware and ensure they were careful.
“It used to take a village to raise a child,” he said.
“Due to advances in technology, a country is now needed to keep them safe.”
The Australian Child Exploitation Center received an average of 226 reports each day; this figure was 82,764 in the last financial year; the previous year this figure was 58,000.
The parliamentary inquiry was launched following a series of disgusting incidents of abuse reported in childcare centers across the country, including by one of Australia’s worst pedophiles, Ashley Paul Griffith.
Griffith was jailed for at least 27 years for more than 300 crimes committed at nurseries in Brisbane and Italy over a period spanning almost two decades.
More recently, Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown was accused of sexually abusing eight children under the age of two.
Mr McCartney told the inquiry: “There have been several investigations in which the AFP has charged childcare workers or people working with children with online exploitation offences.”
Senators heard law enforcement was failing to keep up with technology and lagging behind the cyber capability of criminals, highlighted by the arrest of South Australian hunter Shannon McCoole more than a decade ago.
McCoole, a former child protection worker, was revealed as the chief administrator of a highly sophisticated global child pornography website.
He preyed on boys and girls aged between 18 months and 3 years and ran an international harassment ring via the Dark Web.
While criminals and pedophiles exploit all kinds of loopholes and technological advances, Mr McCartney said investigators continued to be constrained by legislation and privacy guidelines.
“The environment has changed exponentially in terms of threat but also in terms of the tools available…unfortunately we will always be one step behind,” he said.
The investigation was told authorities were running prevention campaigns by partnering with social media platforms such as Snapchat.
Popular social media influencers have been recruited to deliver messages about sextortion and grooming online.
“It was really targeting teenage boys… trying to be a little more innovative there, using influencers who had strong followings among teenage girls and teenage boys,” AFP Commander Helen Schneider said.
“Probably one of the most important partnerships we have is that we take an approach across borders, knowing that this is a global crime.”
The investigation continues.
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