A 42-year-old man has been charged with child sex offences after allegedly meeting an undercover police officer he believed to be a 13-year-old girl.
Police allege the Upper Coomera man used social media to contact a profile that appeared to belong to a child, which was being run by Queensland police detectives from Task Force Argos.
Police allege the man organised to meet up with the fake 13-year-old girl and that he sent explicit photos and videos of himself to the user.
Police also allege the man made arrangements for the "child" to skip school and meet him at a motel to engage in sexual activity.
The arrest was captured on a police body camera outside a Brisbane fast food restaurant.
The man was charged with a string of offences, including using the internet to procure a child under 16 years of age and four counts of grooming a child under 16 years of age with intent to expose to indecent matter.
He is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
'Extremely concerning' figures
Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of Argos said the case highlighted the risk posed to children by online predators.
He urged parents to take active and ongoing measures to keep their children safe online.
"Research has identified that one in four children have been approached by a stranger online," he said.
"This is extremely concerning and highlights the need for parents to be aware of their child’s online footprint and to speak with their child about online safety.
“Supervision is the key to prevention, as is ongoing communication with children about how to stay safe online and the dangers of having online 'friends' they have never met face-to-face.”
Detective Inspector Donaldson warned other predators that children they may try to engage with could be a member of Argos.
