Joint partnership to protect children (JACET)
Channel: SA Police News
Date: 2015-04-22

South Australia Police (SAPOL) today welcomed the formal launch of the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) which combines the expertise of both state and federal experts to protect children.

Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Tom Osborn said JACET, which has been operating since January, combines the resources of SAPOL’s Special Crime Investigations Branch and the Australia Federal Police’s Child Protection Operations members to pursue offenders exploiting children online.

Over the past three months the SAPOL-AFP JACET team has receive more than 30 online child exploitation referrals from the central Canberra-based AFP Assessment Centre.

This co-ordinated reference centre is providing a unified approach, ensuring a more efficient and effective response to child protection efforts across Australia.

“We welcome the provision and co-location of three AFP agents to work alongside our child protection officers,” said Assistant Commissioner Osborn.

“Protecting our children has always been, and will always be, a priority for SAPOL.”

FACT FILE:

•             The JACET started operating in January 2015 with three AFP special agents joining 7 SAPOL specialist investigators.

•             Their role is the identification, investigation and charging of those offending against children, predominately in relation to the online sexual exploitation of children.

•             Since JACET was launched in January there have been:

more than 30 online child exploitation referrals from the AFP Assessment Centre in Canberra
21 search warrants executed
Eight men arrested and four reported
Other offences detected include the seizure of an illegal unregistered firearm and a cannabis crop


*CASE FILES:

•             Earlier this year information was received about a man selling child exploitation material via USB in a bid to avoid detection. Within hours police from SCIB and the JACET team searched an Adelaide address. A man was arrested for possession and distribution of child exploitation material. Further inquiries led to the arrest of two other men within 72 hours, while a fourth is still under investigation.

•             Also this year a woman advised police that a man she had been in communication with had indicated an inappropriate interest in young children. He then behaved inappropriately towards a toddler during an online video conversation. While the man had provided her with false details, SCIB and the JACET team worked around-the-clock to identify the man. An Adelaide man was subsequently located, arrested and charged.

 

(*  these matters are currently before the courts)