Burglary Uncovers Man's Cache of Child Pornography
By John Silvester
Originally published in The Melbourne Age, June 6, 2001
About six weeks ago a group of thieves broke into the Melbourne home of a senior state public servant, taking off with his lap-top computer and video recorder.
But what police found more interesting were some other items the thieves discovered—but did not take—from their middle-aged victim's home.
After being caught, the thieves told police they had stumbled on the man's extensive collection of child pornography, consisting of tapes, magazines and pictures downloaded from the Internet. Suddenly, the man moved from crime victim to the target of a police investigation.
The suspect, well educated and well paid, should know the law - he is a senior officer in Victoria's Justice Department. He is in a position of influence in the department that writes legislation, including laws designed to deal with people who use the Internet to access child pornography.
Police suspect—although they have no proof—that the quiet man is part of a loose group of similar-minded men. Detectives are investigating to see if other government officials, particularly in the Department of Justice, are exchanging or collecting child pornography.
They know the man has acquired hundreds of pornographic pictures, some involving children as young as three. In true bureaucratic style, the computer files were meticulously catalogued under different subjects.
Yesterday's raid on the Justice Department was planned for days, and a search warrant was issued late last week. Senior police were contacted to sanction the raid because of the nature of the investigation.
The building raided, in St Andrews Place, near Parliament House, was where Christine Nixon held her first press conference when she was announced as Victoria's new Chief Commissioner earlier this year. The building houses the offices of Attorney-General Rob Hulls, Solicitor-General Douglas Graham, QC, Crown counsel Peter Sallmann, Correctional Services Commissioner Penny Armytage and Police Minister Andre Haermeyer.
Australian police commissioners last year identified Internet-related crimes, including the distribution and production of child pornography, as one of the greatest challenges facing law enforcement.
International police have discovered two major child pornography rings, the Wonderland and Orchid Clubs, which have operated around the world.
The Wonderland Club was found to be operating in Australia, the US, Britain, Germany, Italy, Norway, Belgium, Finland, Austria, France, Sweden and Portugal.
In 1997 the National Crime Authority reported there were 5000 paedophiles identified in Australia, and warned they were increasingly using computer technology to communicate.
The Internet has enabled people interested in child pornography to connect without ever meeting. Police say the networks are becoming more sophisticated and harder to uncover.
The global nature of the networks creates a jurisdictional nightmare for police. Investigators from Victoria have no power to chase a South American film producer, or a German Web-page designer who may be involved in the child porn industry.
But under case law, anyone who creates a computer file to download child pornography may be guilty of "producing" the illegal material in Victoria—an offence that carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.
