A Brisbane man allegedly used a photographic studio specialising in children’s portraits as a front to lure and rape children and make child exploitation material, Queensland police say.
Detectives on Thursday charged a 38-year-old man from Geebung, in Brisbane’s north, with 79 offences including rape, indecent treatment, making child exploitation material and taking a child for immoral purposes.
The man allegedly ran a studio in the city’s north specialising in “fine art photography” and “artistic dance portraits” of young children, police said.
The man, who was taken into custody after a police raid on a Geebung address, solicited the alleged victims’ parents through social media, police said.
The arrest follows a lengthy investigation by Taskforce Argos, the state police squad specialising in cases of online child exploitation and abuse.
Inspector Jon Rouse said the investigation “culminated today in a significant number of very serious charges and the arrest of an individual that we will be alleging utilised a purportedly legitimate business as a front to procure and abuse children”.
Rouse appealed for anyone with further information to contact police.
The man faces seven charges of rape, 30 counts of carnal knowledge of a child under 16, 26 counts of indecent treatment and 13 counts of taking a child for immoral purposes. He is due to appear in Brisbane magistrates court on Friday.
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