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William John Leslie Harrop, 26, was sentenced to five years in prison after Australian Border Force officers at Sydney Airport found more than 1000 child abuse material files on his phone. He will be eligible for parole in September 2029.
A Sydney man who lied on his customs card after returning from Dubai has been sentenced to five years in prison over child abuse material found on his phone.
Child Abuse Material Found
William John Leslie Harrop, 26, will be eligible for parole in September 2029, a court has decided. Harrop confidently ticked no on his customs card when asked whether he had brought prohibited goods into Australia, including illegal pornography. That answer was a lie. He was carrying more than 1000 child abuse material files on his phone, including 764 photos and 482 videos in his recent photos folder.
Almost all depicted child abuse involving real children. Australian Border Force officials discovered the files at Sydney Airport in September 2025. A forensic analysis of his phone uncovered a further 184 photos and videos of abuse, along with incriminating messages with children. Harrop had also messaged two other paedophiles on WhatsApp, whom he met through an unnamed online group.
Online Contact With Children
He asked them what age they preferred, discussed their abuse and requested abuse material. How did you meet that boy … the one you talked about in the group? Harrop asked one man, before asking for photos. The man detailed the abuse he had inflicted before asking Harrop if he had met a boy.
No, unfortunately, Harrop responded. He then connected with two 14-year-old boys and requested child abuse material. Both boys had disclosed their ages to him. Harrop asked them if it was OK that he was older and told one boy to be sensible about whom he discussed the age discrepancy with.
The second boy, whom he met on an adult dating app, was located in the Philippines. Harrop flattered the child before making sexual remarks. He repeatedly told the boy he loved him and asked the child to be his boyfriend, before engaging in sexual activity. He pleaded guilty to three charges, including possessing child abuse material, engaging in sexual activity with a child under 16 outside Australia, and soliciting child abuse material.
Sentence and Border Force Response
The court also considered a charge of using a carriage service to send indecent material to a child, and procuring a child for sexual activity outside Australia, which is outside the court's jurisdiction, for sentencing. ABF superintendent Shaun Baker said every detection of child abuse material at the border was an important step in protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Viewing, possessing, distributing child abuse material and contact offending against children are not victimless crimes, and the ABF has a zero-tolerance approach to child exploitation, he said. Through intelligence-led targeting and strong collaboration with partner agencies both here in Australia and overseas, the ABF is committed to identifying offenders, preventing harm, and ensuring those involved are held to account. There is no place for the exploitation of children in our community.
The ABF will continue to use intelligence, technology and partnerships to detect offending and protect those most at risk. Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Sydney Airport Border Force Child Abuse Material Australian Border Force Child Exploitation Case
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