A Queensland man facing hundreds of child pornography charges used the internet to try to convince children to send him explicit pictures of themselves, police say.
The 22-year-old was arrested in Mackay on Tuesday and charged with 203 offences, including 193 counts of distributing child exploitation material and using the internet to groom a child for sex.
Police allege he used numerous apps to talk with children under the age of 12 in Australia and overseas.
He also used the apps to communicate with other child sex offenders and share pictures with them.
Townsville child protection and investigation unit Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said seven child victims had been identified so far.
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Det Snr Sgt Miles said children needed to know that photos they send each other can end up in the hands of people with a "sinister and depraved outlook".
"It's important to realise that when material gets on the internet ... there's no way it can be taken away," he said
"And their digital signature is imposed on the internet for the rest of their lives."
The same man was charged with three child sex offences in August last year, after a Townsville home was raided.
He's due to face Townsville Magistrates Court on both sets of charges on March 15.
