A Sydney man will serve at least seven years behind bars after he encouraged adults to facilitate online sexual activity with children overseas.
The 56-year-old from Penrith, in Sydney's west, pleaded guilty to two counts of grooming and one count of encouraging an individual to engage in sexual intercourse with a child outside Australia.
He was sentenced to 10 years and four months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of seven years in the NSW District Court earlier this month.
The court heard the man had encouraged adults in the Philippines to sexually abuse children and livestream the exploitation online to paying customers.
The man was arrested at a Penrith home in October 2024 after investigators from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) discovered communications between him and a Philippine woman who was allegedly facilitating the Live Online Child Sexual Abuse (LOCSA) of her four children, who were later removed from her care.
A review of the man's electronic devices also led to intelligence about another alleged LOCSA facilitator based in Mindanao in the Philippines.
This intelligence was shared with the NBI by AFP investigators in Manila, resulting in the removal of two more children from harm in December 2025.
A man and woman in the Philippines were arrested for their alleged roles in LOCSA.
A review of the Sydney man's electronic devices led to the arrest about another alleged LOCSA facilitator based in Mindanao (pictured),
A woman from Mindanao was also arrested over her alleged involvement in LOCSA
AFP Commander South East Asia Craig Palmer said the partnership between the AFP and Philippines authorities is 'critical to ensuring vulnerable children are not left to suffer in silence.'
'The AFP has more than 450 international partnerships, and this case reinforces how essential those relationships are,' Commander Palmer said.
'When agencies work together, we can intervene earlier, help more children, and ensure offenders - whether in Australia or overseas - cannot hide behind borders or a computer screen.'
'Our message to offenders is simple: no matter where you are, the AFP and our international partners will find you. There is no safe country, no safe device, and no safe distance for those who exploit children.'
It comes as 92 children from the Philippines were removed from harm in 2025 as a result of investigations coordinated by the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre (PICACC), which has cooperation from law enforcement in the Philippines, Australia, United Kingdom, and Netherlands.
Of the 35 PICACC operations, AFP-led investigations resulted in 40 children being removed from harm and also resulted in charges against 13 Australians.
Police say they suspect Australians are major offenders in the Filipino child abuse trade due to similar time zones and direct flights from most Australian capital cities.
Investigators from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation discovered communications between him and a Philippines woman who was allegedly facilitating the Live Online Child Sexual Abuse (LOCSA) of her four children
AFP officer, Craig Palmer, said the work between Australian and Philippines authorities is 'critical to ensuring vulnerable children are not left to suffer in silence'
'The Philippines also has a large English-speaking population and excellent internet infrastructure, enabling perpetrators to easily communicate with facilitators online,' the AFP said in a statement.
'In addition, Australia is a wealthy country where offenders pay for child abuse material from facilitators, who extort children as an income stream.'