Sydney: Australian police on Thursday charged a man, who "actively targeted" hundreds of children in Australia and 15 other countries, amid the latest release of files by US authorities related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

According to Anadolu Agency, the 27-year-old Australian, Ethan Burns-Dederer, has been in custody since February 2025 and faces hundreds of child-abuse-related offenses against 459 victims, as reported by the Queensland police. This case has emerged alongside growing concerns about child abuse following the release of millions of files related to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial. These files have revealed global connections to the sexual offender.

Australian authorities charged Burns-Dederer with 596 offenses after discovering 23,000 more videos and images of the alleged abuses on his electronic devices. Police indicated that the victims, primarily aged between 7 and 15, were "actively targeted on social media and gaming platforms between 2018 and 2025."

Denzil Clark, an Australian Crime Command official, stated, "Due to the volume of images and videos of children on the alleged offender's devices, the process of identification took time, skill and commitment." He expressed significant concern over the rising trend of children being groomed, coerced, or threatened into sending sexual images of themselves via popular apps, games, and social media sites, highlighting the severe trauma caused to the victims.

The investigation has identified alleged victims across 15 countries, with the matter being extremely "disturbing and distressing" for the young people and their families. The accused faces 244 counts of producing child abuse material, 163 counts of using a carriage service to procure children aged under 16, and 87 counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child using a carriage service, according to police.

"Police will allege the man created multiple online fake profiles, both of male and females, and that he groomed, coerced, and threatened young people into sending him sexually explicit material," Clark told reporters. He emphasized that investigators will persist in their efforts and urged parents and caregivers to implement active and ongoing measures to ensure the online safety of young people.

So far, 360 of the victims have been identified, and investigations are continuing. In response to the growing threat, Australia passed legislation last year prohibiting access to social media platforms for users under 16, which came into effect on December 10.