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AAP
AAP
National
Fraser Barton

Education department staffer accused of grooming kids

Police have arrested a man who was allegedly grooming Filipino children through online apps. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

A Queensland Education Department employee has been charged after being accused of grooming Filipino children online.

Police said the 54-year-old man was linked to a Gold Coast school.

"There are no allegations that the man's offending is related to his employment and no indications at this time that any children at the school have been victimised," a police statement said.

The man is accused of using encrypted messaging applications to groom children in the Philippines for sexual activity.

Police said he was also found to be in possession of child exploitation material.

He was arrested following the execution of a search warrant in Pimpama on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night, police said.

"Investigations...into the full extent of the alleged offending are ongoing," police said.

"The Department of Education is supporting the police investigation and providing ongoing support to the school community."

Police said it worked every day with national and international law enforcement to prevent and detect online exploitation of children.

"Law enforcement continue to share intelligence on a daily basis, working together to identify those who seek to hide on platforms they believe make them anonymous," Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson said.

"Everything you do online leaves a trace, and our detectives will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to identify and prosecute offenders."

The man has been charged with one count of possessing child exploitation material; three counts of soliciting child abuse material by using a carriage service; one count of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside of Australia; and one count of grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside of Australia.

He was refused bail and remanded in custody to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

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