Australian Federal and State police have concluded multiple major investigations into online child sexual abuse material (CSAM), resulting in dozens of arrests and hundreds of charges across several states.
Operations targeted individuals sharing and producing material through encrypted networks, cloud storage, and other online platforms. In a separate but related series of events, authorities charged individuals at international airports for attempting to bring CSAM into the country.
A significant investigation also led to 129 additional charges against a former Sydney daycare worker, bringing his total to 137 charges related to the alleged production of CSAM.
Major Operations and Arrests
Operation Jac Beau (Victoria and NSW)
An investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police's Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET), known as Operation Jac Beau, resulted in charges against 35 men across Victoria and New South Wales. The year-long investigation, which began in late 2023, targeted an encrypted online group where members allegedly shared CSAM and discussed fantasies involving children.
- Arrests: 26 men were arrested in Victoria and 9 in New South Wales.
- Evidence: Police examined over 300 hours of video footage and 65,000 unique images, seizing approximately 100 electronic devices.
- Origin: The investigation began after Queensland police shared intelligence about the encrypted group.
- Charges: The 35 men face more than 1,000 criminal charges, including possession, access, transmission, production, and solicitation of CSAM.
A 46-year-old Melbourne man, identified as the group's creator and administrator, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in September 2024.
A Central Victorian man was sentenced to six years' imprisonment in December 2024 on more than 250 charges.
Police stated no newly generated material involving Australian children was identified, and the offending in the shared material is believed to have occurred offshore. The investigation led to 19 referrals to Australian and international law enforcement agencies. The online group has been shut down, and the investigation is complete.
Strike Force Constantine (NSW)
NSW Police’s Strike Force Constantine investigated an alleged international child exploitation network. The network is alleged to have been involved in the online distribution of CSAM, reportedly with ritualistic or satanic themes.
- Six men were arrested in connection with the alleged network:
- Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills (27): Charged with multiple CSAM and bestiality material offenses. He was granted bail with strict conditions.
- Benjamin Raymond Drysdale, Mark Andrew Sendecky (42), and Stuart Woods Riches: Arrested in Malabar. Sendecky previously worked as a swim coach. All three were charged with CSAM offenses and refused bail.
- David Turner (42): A former police officer, he was arrested in Sydney Olympic Park and charged with CSAM and bestiality material offenses. Methamphetamine and ketamine were also seized.
- Colin Milne (62): A property manager, he was the sixth individual arrested and charged.
Investigators identified 145 alleged offenders globally, with referrals forwarded to law enforcement in Australia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, New Zealand, South America, and Southeast Asia. Police stated that Colin Milne is the final NSW-based offender linked to the international network.
Strike Force Glandore (NSW)
Strike Force Glandore investigated an international cloud storage platform containing CSAM files.
- Arrests: 60 men and one woman were arrested in NSW.
- Charges: Nearly 400 charges were laid. The final NSW suspect, Matthew Roberts (37), was charged with 21 offences, including 13 counts of using a carriage service to make available CSAM.
- Victims: Twenty children across Australia were identified from the images. Police spoke with them and coordinated with other government agencies.
The investigation involved a cloud-based image folder accessed by approximately 700 people. Police conducted nearly 150 property raids.
Victorian Investigation
A two-year AFP and Victoria Police investigation dismantled an online group sharing CSAM, leading to the arrest of 26 men in Victoria. Police allege group members used encrypted messaging to distribute material and source children for sexual abuse.
- Material Recovered: Authorities recovered over 65,000 images and more than 300 hours of video content.
- Charges: 26 men were charged. A 46-year-old Melbourne man was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in September 2024. A man from Central Victoria received a five-year imprisonment sentence.
The online group has been shut down.
Operation Moonbi: Former Daycare Worker Charged
A former Sydney daycare worker has been charged with an additional 129 offenses, bringing the total number of charges to 137. The charges are part of an AFP investigation named Operation Moonbi.
- Background: The investigation began in June 2025 after the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported CSAM had been uploaded online. The man's electronic devices were seized from his home.
- Initial Charges: The man was initially charged in July 2025 with eight counts of using a child to make abusive material.
- Forensic Analysis: Forensic analysis of the seized devices, which included millions of files, led to the additional charges. A court non-publication order prevents the publication of his name, his previous employment, and the names of his previous workplaces.
Total Charges (137):
- 68 counts of production of child abuse material.
- 29 counts of filming a person engaged in a private act without consent.
- 18 counts of using a child under 14 years for the production of child abuse material.
- 11 counts of aggravated use of a child under 14 years for the production of child abuse material.
- Other charges include intentionally sexually touching a child under 10 years and possessing or controlling CSAM.
The alleged offending is reported to have occurred between 2009 and 2025. The man has been in custody since July 2025. Investigators allege the man filmed children while they were under his care at multiple centers. They stated they have not found evidence of sexual abuse beyond undressing and filming.
Victim Identification
The AFP is reviewing 2.4 million electronic files to identify children in the alleged material. AFP Detective Superintendent Luke Needham stated the review is in its final stages and impacted families will be notified in the coming weeks. A secure victim portal will be established. The victim identification process can take months.
Parents or guardians can share information with investigators via email at op-moonbi@afp.gov.au. The case has been adjourned until July.
Airport Interceptions and Border Force Actions
Sydney Airport Arrest
A 60-year-old man was arrested at Sydney Airport after arriving from Cambodia. Australian Border Force (ABF) officers searched his luggage and mobile phone, allegedly finding CSAM. The AFP charged him with:
- Possession or control of CSAM obtained using a carriage service.
- Intentionally importing prohibited tier two goods.
- Using a carriage service to transmit CSAM.
A laptop, tablet, and USB were also seized for forensic analysis. A search warrant was executed at a Leichhardt home, where additional electronic devices were seized.
Sydney Arrest: Child Adoption Allegations
A 49-year-old Queensland man was arrested at Sydney Airport after the AFP alleged CSAM was found on his electronic devices during a luggage search. The AFP alleges the man requested third parties in the Philippines to locate children for adoption and sexual activity in exchange for 30,000 Philippine pesos (approximately $730 AUD). He was charged with:
- Possessing or obtaining CSAM outside Australia.
- Using a carriage service to plan sexual activity with a person under 16.
- Procuring a child for sexual activity outside Australia.
He was refused bail and is scheduled to appear in Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney in April. The AFP will coordinate with international partners in the Philippines to identify potential victims.
Adelaide Airport: Visa Cancellation
ABF officers at Adelaide Airport allegedly discovered 21 videos of CSAM on the phone of a Chinese national who had arrived from China. The man held a student visa to study early childhood education. He was issued a $660 fine, his visa was cancelled, and he was removed from Australia on the next available flight.
Public Appeal: Hamish Tait
The AFP issued a fresh appeal to identify a male child whose image was allegedly found on electronic devices seized from Hamish Tait, a former childcare worker charged with more than 320 child abuse offenses. Investigators believe the images were taken between March 2020 and July 2025. The child is wearing Bluey-branded underwear and has a distinctive freckle or mole.
Tait, 35, attended or worked at 62 childcare centres between 2009 and 2025. He was arrested on June 20, 2025, and faces 329 charges involving more than 150 alleged victims.
Support Resources
The Australian government has funded an expanded child sexual abuse prevention service called Stop It Now! by Jesuit Social Services. Other support resources are available:
- National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
- Lifeline: 131 114
- Bravehearts: 1800 272 831
- Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE): Available for anyone with information regarding child abuse.