The 49-year-old man, who has not yet been identified, was intercepted by Border Force officers at Sydney Airport on February 17 after flying in from China. After examining his luggage, officers allege child abuse material was found on the man's electronic devices, along with conversations with third parties in the Philippines discussing procuring children for sexual activity. Police will allege the man asked a third party to find minors for him to adopt and engage in sexual activity with, in exchange for 30,000 Philippine pesos, or about $730 AUD. He has also been charged with one count of procuring child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia - a serious offence that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment. 'The AFP will continue to forensically examine the man's devices, associated cloud accounts, and financial transactions to determine the full scale of the alleged offending.

Source: Daily Mail February 19, 2026 14:20 UTC