Overview
- A 32-year-old APS4 employee at the Australian Taxation Office was arrested, suspended without pay and charged with two counts of unlawful disclosure and 17 child exploitation offences following a covert probe called Operation Esk‑Jerboa.
- Federal agents executed a search warrant at a Surfers Paradise residence and seized multiple mobile phones and storage devices that investigators say contained a substantial cache of child‑abuse material.
- The National Anti‑Corruption Commission, the Australian Federal Police and the ATO led the joint investigation under the codename Operation Esk‑Jerboa and maintain the operation is ongoing.
- AFP deputy commissioner Hilda Sirec said organised crime groups routinely try to corrupt public servants with access to sensitive law‑enforcement data, and the ATO described its detection systems and commitment to prosecuting misconduct.
- The accused is due to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on September 21 as forensic examination and related inquiries continue and the NACC extends its oversight of corruption risks in the public service.