Perth, Feb 25: A Chinese national who planned to study early childhood education in Australia has had his visa cancelled after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly found child abuse material on his mobile phone.
The man arrived at Adelaide International Airport on 23 February 2026 on a student visa. He was selected for a baggage examination, during which officers allege they located 21 videos assessed as child abuse material, which is prohibited under Regulation 4A of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956.
ABF issued the man with a $660 infringement notice, cancelled his visa and detained him. He was then removed from Australia on the next available flight.
ABF Inspector Mark Vaughan said it was “deeply concerning” that someone intending to study early childhood education was found with material that exploits children.
“Tackling child abuse is an important part of the ABF’s role in protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our community — children — from individuals who carry this material across the border,” he said.
ABF said officers remain alert to detecting such content at airports and will use their powers to prosecute individuals or remove them from Australia where appropriate.
Between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025, ABF said it stopped more than 435 people it described as potential child sex offenders at airports nationwide. In the first two weeks of January 2026, ABF said 17 travellers were stopped after alleged child abuse material was found on their electronic devices, resulting in visa cancellations and arrests.
ABF warned that travellers whose visas are cancelled may face re-entry bans of up to three years, or in some cases permanent exclusion.
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