1
00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:04,520
Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.

2
00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:07,560
Speaker 1: You are our eyes and ears in the Territory Mixed

3
00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:08,799
Speaker 1: one oh four point nine.

4
00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:11,720
Speaker 2: Now, as I mentioned a little while ago, between January

5
00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,440
Speaker 2: and March this year, the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team

6
00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,239
Speaker 2: comprising of Northern Territory and Australian Federal Police, together with

7
00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:24,680
Speaker 2: investigators from Queensland and the Australian Center to counter Child Exploitation,

8
00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:29,320
Speaker 2: they executed Operation May. Now it's an operation which targeted

9
00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:34,560
Speaker 2: online predators attempting to procure children through internet chat lines.

10
00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,720
Speaker 2: Now joining us on the line is Northern Territory Police

11
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,120
Speaker 2: Detective Sergeant Paul Lawson.

12
00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:41,280
Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Paul.

13
00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:42,600
Speaker 3: Good morning Katy.

14
00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,160
Speaker 1: Sorry to keep you waiting, Paul.

15
00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:50,120
Speaker 2: Now, during this operation, investigators executed nineteen search warrants. Can

16
00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:51,680
Speaker 2: you tell us some of the locations.

17
00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:57,480
Speaker 3: Yes, we are executed Warranton, Darwin, Mataranka, Tenna Creek, Alice

18
00:00:57,480 --> 00:00:59,920
Speaker 3: Springs as well as some remote ones in vic Daily

19
00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:02,120
Speaker 3: region and the McDonald region.

20
00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,480
Speaker 1: Now, what was the aim of this operation.

21
00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:10,600
Speaker 3: We identified that through the through the Jacket team, the

22
00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,160
Speaker 3: online presence of a number of offenders trying to procure children,

23
00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,440
Speaker 3: so we engage with some of them online and get

24
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:18,960
Speaker 3: the operation around from there.

25
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:19,760
Speaker 1: Goodness me.

26
00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:23,000
Speaker 2: So, so you guys the investigators had to engage in

27
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,240
Speaker 2: I'm assuming like chats or engaged with these predators in

28
00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,360
Speaker 2: an effort to try and catch them.

29
00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,040
Speaker 3: Yes, we have that online capability through the Australian Centers

30
00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:38,480
Speaker 3: Counter Child Exploitation. They do all the online chatting and yeah,

31
00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,039
Speaker 3: we go out on the field and try to find

32
00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:41,480
Speaker 3: these people.

33
00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,119
Speaker 2: Well, I've got to say, like for me, it's something

34
00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,360
Speaker 2: that you know, frightens me as a parent. I've got

35
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,840
Speaker 2: kids that are at that age where they play different games.

36
00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,480
Speaker 2: You know, sometimes you do see that there's there's people

37
00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,600
Speaker 2: that they do not know who try to talk to them.

38
00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,200
Speaker 1: I mean, how easy can this type of thing happen?

39
00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,880
Speaker 3: Yes, very easy. That's probably one of the main goals

40
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:04,840
Speaker 3: in this operation is to bring a bit of attention

41
00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:07,120
Speaker 3: to for parents, to show them that they need to

42
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:09,040
Speaker 3: keep an eye on what the children are doing online.

43
00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,040
Speaker 2: So what's the best piece of advice I suppose for parents?

44
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:15,080
Speaker 2: You know, how can we do that?

45
00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,160
Speaker 3: There are a number of different safety mechanisms for in

46
00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,440
Speaker 3: line with security, but it's mainly talk to your children

47
00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,800
Speaker 3: and find out what they're doing online and keep an

48
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:25,280
Speaker 3: eye on them.

49
00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,280
Speaker 2: Now, Paul, can you talk us through how many people

50
00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,800
Speaker 2: have now been charged as a result of this operation.

51
00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:37,560
Speaker 3: Yes, we got a total of fifteen people charged. There

52
00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,240
Speaker 3: were thirteen in the Northern Territory and two in Queensland.

53
00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:43,600
Speaker 2: Wow.

54
00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,760
Speaker 1: What type of offences have they been charged with?

55
00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,840
Speaker 3: A lot of child abuse material offences and also procuring

56
00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,280
Speaker 3: children for sexual intercourse far right out.

57
00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,480
Speaker 2: It's you know, like I said, it's pretty bloody frightening

58
00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,640
Speaker 2: as a parent some of the different ways that you know,

59
00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,480
Speaker 2: we talked to our kids about stranger danger on the street,

60
00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:04,360
Speaker 2: but it's so important that we're sort of talking to

61
00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,799
Speaker 2: them about that kind of stuff when you're online as well,

62
00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:07,280
Speaker 2: isn't it.

63
00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's the main thing if people take away from

64
00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,639
Speaker 3: this is educating your children and yeah, keeping eye them online.

65
00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,920
Speaker 3: Were increasing our online presence. But yeah, the parents can

66
00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:18,840
Speaker 3: do a better, John, what we can now?

67
00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,200
Speaker 2: What kind of I mean, what kind of behavior are

68
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,720
Speaker 2: people sort of engaging in expecting that you know, there's

69
00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:25,440
Speaker 2: some detail that you're not going to be able to

70
00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,160
Speaker 2: tell us here, But what kind of stuff are we

71
00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,480
Speaker 2: talking about? Yeah?

72
00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,559
Speaker 3: Well, the example that we gave one of the offenders

73
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,240
Speaker 3: thought they were speaking to a twelve year old girl,

74
00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,200
Speaker 3: but it was a police officer and we arranged them

75
00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,600
Speaker 3: to meet and them. The main reason for the offender

76
00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,160
Speaker 3: to meet was to engage in sexual in the course

77
00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,120
Speaker 3: as a child, So we use an undercover operative and

78
00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:50,640
Speaker 3: pretty much lured him into the site so we could

79
00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:51,160
Speaker 3: arrest him.

80
00:03:51,240 --> 00:03:53,520
Speaker 2: Good on you, guys, I tell you what, you know,

81
00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,680
Speaker 2: the more of these people that you can catch, the better.

82
00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,119
Speaker 1: Why was this operation conducted?

83
00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:01,560
Speaker 2: I mean there's obviously see real concerns that you've got

84
00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,800
Speaker 2: quite a few people out in the community, or that

85
00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,360
Speaker 2: there are people in the community who are engaging in

86
00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,000
Speaker 2: this disgraceful behavior.

87
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's we detected it. We get referrals from the

88
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,520
Speaker 3: ACE in Brisbane. But also anybody if you've got if

89
00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,000
Speaker 3: your children, if you think your children are target of

90
00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,200
Speaker 3: any of this sort of activity, you can report it

91
00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:24,520
Speaker 3: on line to the Australian Center to Child count a

92
00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:25,520
Speaker 3: child exploitation.

93
00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,280
Speaker 2: Okay, so if there is maybe something that's gone on,

94
00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,000
Speaker 2: if a parent is concerned, that's the best tack to take.

95
00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:33,159
Speaker 3: Yes, that'll crime stoppers.

96
00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, well are you I mean, are you guys worried

97
00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,240
Speaker 2: that there could be more of this happening than what

98
00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:39,000
Speaker 2: you're aware of.

99
00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,359
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's always a worry, Katie, but we're our online presence,

100
00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:49,320
Speaker 3: we're working towards trying to cover more and more of

101
00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:50,680
Speaker 3: these chat forums.

102
00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,279
Speaker 2: All the time. Good on you, and well done to

103
00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,279
Speaker 2: everybody involved in this in this operation because, like you know,

104
00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,039
Speaker 2: like I've said throughout the interview, it's a concern for parents,

105
00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:02,720
Speaker 2: there's no doubt about it, and we all try our

106
00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,880
Speaker 2: best to keep a really close eye on our kids,

107
00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,599
Speaker 2: but sometimes, you know, people sort of still slip in there,

108
00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,680
Speaker 2: and I think it's really important the work that you're

109
00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,120
Speaker 2: doing to keep the kids safe.

110
00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:15,120
Speaker 3: Yeah, and this is a great example of how the

111
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,880
Speaker 3: police agencies are working together these days to ensure this

112
00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:18,880
Speaker 3: sort of behavior stops.

113
00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:20,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, one hundred percent.

114
00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,440
Speaker 2: Well, Northern Territory Police Detective Sergeant Paul Lawson, I appreciate

115
00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,280
Speaker 2: your time this morning, Thanks for chatting with us.

116
00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:28,200
Speaker 1: Thanks Gertie, Thank you,