Sydney man arrested at airport after allegedly grooming child for sex in Thailand

An Australian man has been arrested at Sydney Airport for allegedly grooming a child for sexual activity in Thailand.

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers searched the 62-year-old Hornsby man’s luggage when he arrived in Sydney from Bangkok and allegedly found child abuse material on his devices.

The matter was referred to Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigators who allege they found a child abuse video and online conversations between the man and a child in Thailand on the devices.

The man was charged with possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service and two counts of grooming a person for sexual activity outside of Australia.

He was refused bail and is due to appear in the NSW Bail Division Court on Tuesday.

AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the AFP and its partners work tirelessly to protect children from harm, no matter where they were from.

“The AFP and our law enforcement partners will not rest in our commitment to keep children safe,” he said.

“Our message hasn’t changed – if someone grooms a child or possesses child abuse material, they are committing a serious offence.”

ABF Superintendent Elke West said the ABF would continue to target and intercept suspicious material entering Australia.

“The detection of child abuse material is a responsibility we take very seriously. We use a range of intelligence and targeting methods to identify it on electronic devices arriving through our airports,” he said.

“When this abhorrent material is found on a passenger’s device, rest assured we take swift action to protect the broader community and ensure offenders are held accountable and put before the courts.

“Anyone attempting to harm children at home or overseas will remain a priority target, supported by our border detection efforts, the work of ABF officers, and collaboration with law-enforcement partners worldwide.“