Two Australians charged in global AI-generated child abuse material probe
Two Australian men were arrested and charged as part of Operation Cumberland, a global law enforcement operation led by Danish police targeting the alleged production and distribution of AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The men were allegedly subscribers to an online service selling such content, and authorities found child abuse material on their devices during searches.
What happened
A Queensland man, 31, was charged on 25 February 2025, and a New South Wales man, 38, was charged on 26 February 2025, as part of Operation Cumberland, a global law enforcement operation led by Danish police involving Europol and law enforcement agencies from 19 countries that resulted in 25 arrests across those nations.
The investigation began when Danish authorities uncovered an online subscription service selling AI-generated child sexual abuse material and identified 273 subscribers worldwide in 19 countries. Danish authorities alerted the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), which began its own investigation.
The AFP executed search warrants at the men's homes in Cairns, Queensland and Toukley, New South Wales, and allegedly found child sexual abuse material on their mobile phones and other electronic devices.
Reported impact
According to AFP Detective acting Superintendent Kurt Wesche, AI technology is increasingly accessible, and the ACCCE has witnessed an increase in AI-generated child abuse material in the past year. He stated it is getting harder for police to discern if an image shows a real child, and there is concern that AI-generated material diverts investigative resources from finding real children being abused.
Detective Wesche noted that although the children depicted in the material are not real, these criminal networks are still involved in the sexual exploitation of children, and that in Australia it is a criminal offence to create, possess or share content depicting the abuse of someone aged under 18.
Governance controls
The investigation highlighted the importance of law enforcement working together across borders to combat the crime, with the AFP and ACCCE coordinating internationally through operation with Danish Police and Europol.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.