Oxenford State School school principal Patric Brady charged with possessing child exploitation material, grooming

The principal of a primary school on the Gold Coast has been charged with possessing child exploitation material and allegedly using encrypted messaging apps to groom children in the Philippines for sexual activity.

Patric Brady, who was the principal of Oxenford State School from 2018, was arrested on Tuesday in Pimpama by detectives from Taskforce Argos.

The arrest followed a joint investigation between Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the Australian Federal Police-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).

Mr Brady faces a range of charges, including one count of possessing child exploitation material (CEM), three counts of soliciting child abuse material via a carriage service, and two counts of grooming for sexual activity outside of Australia. No plea has been entered.

The 54-year-old fronted Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he was granted bail.

The case has been adjourned until September 12.

Queensland police confirmed that Mr Brady’s charges are not related to his role at Oxenford State School, and there is no evidence suggesting that children from the school were victimised.

“The department is aware that a Department of Education employee was arrested,“ a Department of Education spokesperson said in a statement, adding that counselling and support is being provided to the affected school community.

Queensland Police said investigations are ongoing.

“A priority of the QPS is the prevention and proactive detection of the online exploitation of children, whether in Australia or anywhere in the world. To help achieve this goal, the QPS works in partnership with the community, child protection services and national and international law enforcement agencies,” a Thursday statement read.

“Detective Inspector Glen Donaldson of Argos said that everyday Argos and the AFP work collaboratively together at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) to target high harm offenders operating on a range of online platforms.

“The issue of Live Online Child Sexual Abuse (LOCSA) of vulnerable children across the world is a significant concern and remains a targeting priority of law enforcement across Australia.

“This arrest highlights the Queensland Police commitment to protecting vulnerable children and bringing perpetrators of these disturbing crimes to justice.

“Law enforcement continue to share intelligence on a daily basis, working together to identify those who seek to hide on platforms they believe make them anonymous.

“Everything you do online leaves a trace, and our detectives will leave no stone unturned in our efforts to identify and prosecute offenders”.

AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Hayden Wells praised the collaborative efforts between various agencies that led to Brady’s arrest. “This arrest is a testament to the joint effort of the ACCCE Operations Development and Disruption Unit, Intelligence Fusion Cell, and the QPS, who all work tirelessly to identify, pursue and prosecute those involved in child exploitation,” Wells said.