Bestiality Investigation Leads to Child Sexual Abuse Charges

In September 2024, the New South Wales State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit began an investigation into the production and distribution of bestiality material in Sydney.

Police allege that an online group was uncovered during the investigation, in which members were sharing and discussing both bestiality and child abuse material. 

After further investigations, detectives served search warrants on two men in Windsor, northwest of Sydney CBD, arresting and charging both of them with bestiality and possessing child abuse material. 

Detectives claim to have located over 500,000 files containing child abuse material in electronic devices located at the homes. Further investigations led to the arrest on 1 October 2024 of a 42-year-old man in Orangeville, 75 kilometres southwest of Sydney CBD. 

The man was charged with several child sexual offences including four counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years old, two counts of inciting a child under 16 years old to perform sexual acts, two counts of sexually touching a child under 10 year old, and 15 counts of producing child abuse material. 

The man appeared before the Campbelltown Local Court yesterday where he was refused bail.

The arrests are part of a broader investigation that aims to target and disrupt online abuse rings across New South Wales, and highlight the prevalence of such offences not just in our state, but across the nation and beyond.

Prevalence of Child Sexual Exploitation

Research conducted by the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation suggests that in 2021, there had been more than 33,000 reports of online child sexual exploitation. 

And perhaps of even greater alarm, research by the Australian Institute of Criminology suggests that 12.5% of males had viewed online child sexual abuse material. 

If these figures are even close to correct, it means sexual exploitation of children is extremely prevalent in Australian society – perhaps even more widespread than many of us might have thought.

Correlation Between Bestiality and Child Sexual Abuse?

Despite being two different sexual abuse charges, authorities are concerned about the fact online groups are sharing both bestiality and child abuse material in online forums. 

And the possible link between engaging in the sexual abuse of animals and children raises cause for concern.

In that regard, a study conducted in the United States suggested that almost one-third of all juvenile sex offenders had engaged in bestiality as a child. Another study in the country found that out of 491 arrests between 1970 and 2015, 46% involved both child and animal sexual assault or exploitation. 

However, one must be cautious to overstate the causal link, as there is a strong argument that offenders don’t just progress from one type of sexual offending to another but are already prone to such conduct, potentially for a range of sociological, environmental and even genetic reasons.