<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A disturbing number of Australians are helping drive child abuse in the Philippines, with 13 people charged and 92 children rescued this year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Australian Federal Police (AFP) works with its counterparts in the Philippines to investigate online child sexual exploitation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There have been 35 operations that freed the 92 victims, as young as six. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/perth-aubin-grove-three-teenagers-charged-after-19-year-old-allegedly-stabbed-to-death-at-car-park/30ff0e0c-06e5-4a12-9426-513e27fb70ae" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Three teens charged with murdering man in shopping centre car park on Christmas Eve</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It led to 13 Australians and 18 alleged facilitators in the Philippines being charged.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They include a 74-year-old man from Western Australia who was sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment for sexually abusing 15 children overseas over nine years, and a 52-year-old man from Victoria serving 10 years and 10 months' imprisonment for 27 charges.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>AFP Detective Sergeant Leesa Alexander is based in Manila and said it was "horrific" just how many Australians were helping drive the demand for child abuse in the Philippines.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/philippines-child-sexual-exploitation-13-australians-charged/fae6db9c-8df0-413e-910e-df16b9fc391a" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Child abuse is abhorrent and can leave victims with a lifelong burden," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian offenders allegedly pay for child abuse material from facilitators in the Philippines, who extort children as a way to make money.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Authorities believe Australians are major offenders because of the similar time zones between the two countries, direct flights from most capital cities and the large English-speaking population in the Philippines.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Philippines also has excellent internet infrastructure.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-prime-minister-anthony-albanese-promotes-one-mitzvah-plan/3d956401-9446-43e7-8e6b-df621386c77a" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>PM promotes plan to 'unite community' after Bondi Beach attack</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>AFP Commander of Human Exploitation, Helen Schneider, said every action online is traceable.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Let me be clear, just because the offending may not happen in Australia, we will still find you," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The AFP refers matters to the Philippine Internet Crimes Against Children Centre (PICACC), which is a global response to online child abuse with help from authorities in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Those matters are then allocated to the Philippines National Police or the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since the inception of PICACC in February 2019, there have been 324 operations, which have led to 865 victims rescued and 187 people charged.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>AFP investigations led to 77 of those people being charged and 315 victims being saved.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span></span></em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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