NSW Man Charged with Child Abuse Material Offences Amid Crypto Probe

A 29-year-old man from New South Wales has been charged with multiple offences, including possessing child abuse material, after a search warrant was executed at his home in North Albury.

Detectives from the Cybercrime Squad, as part of Strike Force Angle, an ongoing investigation into the use of cryptocurrency to disseminate, purchase and produce child abuse material online, arrested Jamie Bell and seized various electronic devices, drugs, and other items for forensic examination.

Charges and Arrest

Mr Bell was charged with possessing prohibited drugs, producing and possessing child abuse material, and producing animal sexual abuse material. He was also charged with possessing a child-like sex doll and breaching bail.

Bail Application Denied

Mr Bell appeared in the NSW Bail Division Court via video link, where his lawyer, Malek Alzaim, applied for bail. Mr Alzaim described Mr Bell as a vulnerable person suffering from schizophrenia and living with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and several other mental health conditions.

“He receives a disability pension, NDIS support, and needs a depot injection for his schizophrenia on September 30,” Mr Alzaim said. “He lives independently in his own home but has a close relationship with his father, who visits him every day.”

Police prosecutors told the court that Mr Bell was on bail after being charged with sexual intercourse with a person under 10 years old and faced a high chance of a custodial sentence if found guilty.

The court heard that message threads to AI models were found, along with a sex doll that imitated the genitalia of children. Judge Miranda Moody agreed that Mr Bell posed a dangerous threat to the community and could be a risk if he failed to appear in court on bail.

“He's clearly got some computer ability to have not only possessed but produced this material using AI and other such features,” Judge Moody said. “In all the circumstances, as I say, cause is not shown and bail is refused.”

Judge Moody refused Mr Bell's bail application and ordered that he appear in Albury Local Court via video link in November.