A 27-year-old man is accused of deliberately targeting children online. He has been charged with hundreds of child abuse related offences involving victims in Australia and at least 15 other countries, Queensland police said.
The man, who has been in custody since February last year, now faces 596 charges after investigators uncovered more than 23,000 images and videos of alleged abuse on his electronic devices.
Detective Acting Chief Superintendent Denzil Clark said the sheer scale of the material meant identifying victims required significant time and specialist effort. So far, 360 victims have been identified and investigations are continuing.
Victims identified across Australia and overseas
Police said more than 200 of the victims were based in Australia, with others located overseas, mostly in English-speaking countries. Most were boys aged between seven and 15.
Authorities are continuing to work with international law enforcement agencies to identify remaining victims and ensure they receive appropriate support.
Clark warned of a growing trend in which children are groomed, pressured or threatened into creating and sharing explicit material through widely used apps, games and social media platforms, adding that the psychological harm caused to victims is severe.
Clark declined to name the platforms involved but said they were extremely popular. All alleged offending took place online and police are investigating other potential suspects.
Alleged offences span several years
According to police, the man operated multiple online profiles between 2018 and 2025, posing as both men and women. He is accused of recording interactions and using grooming and coercive tactics to obtain explicit material, which he allegedly organised and stored in labelled folders.
The charges include counts related to producing child abuse material, using online services to target children under 16 and engaging in sexual activity with a child through digital communication.
The man is due to appear in court on Thursday.
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