South Australia Police used National Child Protection Week earlier of this month to run a program ensuring children were protected from known sex offenders.
Exercised as Operation Child Safe, the two-day project saw police from across the State knock on the home addresses of 377 Child Sex Offenders registered on the Australian National Child Offender Register (ANCOR) to checking they were complying with the Child Sex Offenders Registration Act (CSORA).
According to Acting Assistant Commissioner of Crime Service, Stephen Taylor the police were looking for any evidence that the offenders were breaching their ANCOR obligations.
“There are a range of obligations from maintaining internet user accounts, fail to notify ownership of a vehicle, maintain an email address without notifying police, along with having contact with children, or possessing child exploitation material,” A/Assistant Commissioner Taylor said.
“The searches resulted in 267 houses being searched, and 62 offenders being charged with breaching the ANCOR obligations, as well as other offences.”
He said Police located 13 of the Offenders in possession of child exploitation material with three offenders having reportable child contact.
Police seized 17 computers, 19 mobile phones, nine laptop/tablets and six hard drive/USBs that require further examination, along with two firearms and four cannabis plants.
A/Assistant Commissioner Taylor said one offender was arrested for breaching parole conditions, with another charged with aggravated indecent assault.
“Police will continue their investigations on a number of other items seized last week, and there may be further charges laid,” he said.
“Police conduct regular checks on those on the Serious Registrable Offenders, throughout the year so the community should not be alarmed by the number of arrests from last week,” A/Assistant Commissioner Taylor said.
National Child Protection Week was held from 6 to 12 September.
