Australia police charge man over abuse of 459 children

Queensland police say a 27-year-old has been charged with 596 offences after thousands of digital files linked to alleged online abuse of 459 victims were found on his devices; he has been in custody since last February and was due to appear in court on Thursday.

Queensland police have charged a 27-year-old with hundreds of offences tied to online child abuse after a large number of digital files were recovered from his electronic devices. Authorities say the alleged offending affected victims in Australia and in other countries and took place over several years. Police report that 360 victims have been identified so far and that investigations with international partners are continuing. The man has been in custody since last February and was due to appear in court on Thursday. Key facts: - Police charged the 27-year-old with 596 offences after finding thousands of digital files on his devices. - Authorities say 459 victims were affected, with 360 identified so far and more than 200 located in Australia. - All offending is reported as having occurred online; investigations and international victim identification efforts are ongoing. Summary: Police say the case stems from a sustained online offending pattern and has required cross-border work to identify victims. The suspect remains in custody and was scheduled for a court appearance on Thursday; further investigative and legal steps are undetermined at this time.