Manning pen pal charged over child exploitation material after befriending paedophiles and murderers

A Manning man is behind bars after becoming pen pals with paedophiles and murderers in prisons across the globe. The WA Police Child Exploitation Operations Squad launched an investigation in January after the Texas Board of Criminal Justice reported the 46-year-old was allegedly communicating with inmates who were serving time in the United States for child sex offences. Officers raided a Manning property on February 12, where they allegedly seized numerous child exploitation photographs, videos and files. “It will be alleged the accused had been corresponding heavily with convicted child sex offenders and murderers around the world for a number of years, through both written and electronic forums,” a police spokesperson said. The man was charged with three counts of producing child exploitation material and two counts of distributing child exploitation material and was remanded in custody. He will return to court on February 20. “The WA Police Force is committed to protecting children and holding alleged offenders to account,” a police spokesperson said. “Specialist officers work proactively to identify, investigate and disrupt the production, possession and distribution of child exploitation material. “Child exploitation material is not abstract content. Every image or video represents a real child who has been harmed. “These children are victims of crime, and the continued circulation of this material causes ongoing trauma.” Sexual Assault Resource Centre 1800 199 888 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800