A Queensland man accused of sex offences against eight children and online grooming may have abused more victims, police say.

November 4, 2020

A Queensland man accused of using the internet to find children for sex may have abused more victims, police say.

The 20-year-old Gracemere man was charged in September with rape, indecent treatment of a child under 16 and using the internet to procure children.

Police allege the man used the social media app Snapchat to find his victims who were aged 12 to 15-years-old.

He is also accused of possessing child exploitation material and unlawful carnal knowledge.

“We identified a number of victims who had been groomed online which resulted in a number of these victims being sexually offended against,” Detective Senior Sergeant Damien Smith told reporters on Wednesday.

The man allegedly committed the crimes between January 2019 and September 2020.

“We’d had some information coming in for a short period of time and then one of the victims came forward which commenced the operation,” Det Snr Sgt Smith said.

“We have reason to believe there are more victims in the community.”

The man is scheduled to appear in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court on November 18.

It comes as detectives charged a 36-year-old Cairns’ man with 59 offences, including possessing, accessing, distributing and making child exploitation material.

The man was arrested on Thursday after officers forensically examined computers and electronic devices.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court on February 21.

Police urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.