A 41-year-old Gold Coast man has been charged with making child exploitation material and was expected to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on 5 November.
The investigation began on 4 February 2026, when Australian Border Force officers examining the man’s phone at Brisbane International Airport identified suspected child abuse material files.
A forensic examination found thousands of alleged child abuse material files. The case was referred to the Australian Federal Police’s Northern Command Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.
Investigators allege artificial intelligence was used to digitally sexualise and “nudify” images of clothed children taken from social media accounts. The images included those of at least three children located in Australia.
On 4 November, investigators searched a home in Arundel and seized two mobile phones for further forensic examination. The man was charged with one count of making child exploitation material under section 228B of the Criminal Code 1899 (Qld), which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force said child abuse material is illegal regardless of how it is made and warned against using artificial intelligence to create sexualised depictions of children.
