On 23 October the Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, alongside the AFP Commissioner and invited guests, officially opened the new purpose-built Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) in Brisbane.
It houses police, domestic and international specialists dedicated to the ongoing fight to ensure children are free from exploitation.
The Minister and Commissioner highlighted the results of Operation Molto and the significant efforts of dedicated officers and specialists who are leading efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation. Operation Molto is the latest ACCCE-coordinated operation involving all Australian police agencies, along with the ACIC and AUSTRAC.
The operation targeted offenders sharing some of the most abhorrent child abuse material circulating online. This is the third major ACCCE-coordinated operation since the inception of the ACCCE, which has resulted in a combined total of 87 offenders charged with 1,266 offences, and 24 children removed from harm.
Minister Dutton said the opening reflected the Australian Government’s commitment to tackling the growing issue of child exploitation in Australia and around the world.
“There are those who seek to abuse and exploit our children, and it is becoming more and more prevalent, which is why we need initiatives like these to keep our children safe,” Minister Dutton said.
The new ACCCE facility brings together the resources of Commonwealth agencies, law enforcement - specifically the AFP and State and Territory police - non-government organisations, and other partners to drive innovation, collaboration and capabilities to prevent and counter the online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
The opening also commemorated the life of Carly Ryan - who was tragically murdered by an offender who groomed her online - through the placement of her memorial quilt within the new ACCCE facility.
Due to COVID-19, the event was a small delegation of guests of the Minister, including State and Territory Police, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, Crime Stoppers, Victim Advocate Kelly Humphries, and other local child protection advocates.
