Queensland state school principal charged with child exploitation and grooming offences

[Artaxerxes II]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-28/ ... /104282100

A Gold Coast state school principal has been charged with child exploitation offences, including the alleged grooming of children in the Philippines.

The 54-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after a search of his home in Pimpama, on the Northern Gold Coast.

Police allege the man was in possession of child exploitation material and encrypted messaging applications he used to groom children in the Philippines.

He has been charged with one count of possessing child exploitation material and three counts of soliciting child abuse material by using a carriage service.

Police also charged him with one count of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside Australia, and one count of grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia.

Investigators said there were no allegations that the man's alleged offending was related to his employment and no indications that any children from the school were victims of his alleged offending.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Queensland's Department of Education said the department was supporting the police investigation and "providing ongoing support to the affected school community".

"Counselling and guidance services are available for anyone requiring support," the spokesperson said.

The man's arrest stemmed from a joint investigation between Queensland Police Argos detectives and Australian Federal Police.

Argos Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson said the sexual abuse of children overseas was a priority of Australian law enforcement agencies.

"This arrest highlights the Queensland Police commitment to protecting vulnerable children and bringing perpetrators of these disturbing crimes to justice," he said.

"Law enforcement continue to share intelligence on a daily basis, working together to identify those who seek to hide on platforms they believe make them anonymous.

"Everything you do online leaves a trace, and our detectives will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to identify and prosecute offenders."

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Grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia is a Commonwealth offence. The maximum penalty for grooming is imprisonment for 12 years.

Up to 12 years for NOT having sex.

I bet the principal was a great teacher loved by his students, too.

Idiot.