Episode 43 | Held by the Wrong Hands
Episode 43 | Held by the Wrong Hands
Embedded Files
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming, exploitation, and trafficking. The material is handled with care and without graphic detail; however, the themes may be distressing for some listeners.
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse, grooming, exploitation, and trafficking. The material is handled with care and without graphic detail; however, the themes may be distressing for some listeners.
Peter Truong, 'Adam' and Mark Newton
This episode begins in Cairns, Queensland. A place better known for reef trips and rainforest light than for international criminal investigations. It was here that a family appeared to be living an ordinary life. It was also here that a case quietly took root, one that would ultimately span three countries and expose a global child exploitation network.
What began with suspicions raised in New Zealand converged with work already underway in the United States. Australian authorities, including Taskforce Argos, worked alongside international counterparts to share intelligence, analyse encrypted devices, trace travel patterns, and identify a child hidden behind layers of digital secrecy. No single agency solved this case alone. It required collaboration, patience, and a refusal to let borders limit responsibility.
This case did not unravel because the offenders made mistakes. It unraveled because investigators followed evidence relentlessly and kept the protection of a child at the centre of their work.
At a time when public confidence in powerful institutions is being tested, this story offers a reminder of what is possible when systems operate as they were designed to; transparently, cooperatively, and with integrity.
Free Support Services - available 24/7
Free Support Services - available 24/7
1800 737 732
1800 737 732
1800RESPECT is Australia’s national counselling and support service for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic violence, and family violence. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering free and confidential support via phone and online chat.
1800RESPECT is Australia’s national counselling and support service for people impacted by sexual assault, domestic violence, and family violence. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering free and confidential support via phone and online chat.
The service is staffed by trained trauma-specialist counsellors who can provide crisis support, safety planning, information about options, and referrals to local services. You do not need to be in immediate danger to call — the service is available for anyone seeking support, whether the experience was recent or in the past.
The service is staffed by trained trauma-specialist counsellors who can provide crisis support, safety planning, information about options, and referrals to local services. You do not need to be in immediate danger to call — the service is available for anyone seeking support, whether the experience was recent or in the past.
13 11 14
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Lifeline is national charity providing all Australians experiencing emotional distress with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. They exist so that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone.
Support for International Listeners
Support for International Listeners
The NO MORE Global Directory is a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive international directory of domestic and sexual violence helplines, specialist support services, and resources for men, women, and those who identify as non-binary in almost every UN-recognized country and territory in the world.
The NO MORE Foundation created the site in partnership with the United Nations and the World Bank, and it serves as a global hub of information and resources for victims and their loved ones. This directory is the latest step in our efforts to create a world with NO MORE domestic and sexual violence.
4 Corners Investigation
4 Corners Investigation
"The Boy with the Henna Tattoo", reported by Caro Meldrum-Hanna and presented by Kerry O'Brien, went to air on Monday 10th March 2014
It is available to view on ABC iview and at abc.net.au/4corners.
Source Information
Source Information
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) 2014, Four Corners: The Boy with the Henna Tattoo, ABC Television, broadcast 17 March 2014.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC Radio Cairns) 2005, Putting Gender on the Agenda, ABC Far North Queensland, interview with Peter Truong and Mark Newton.
Bone, B. 2014, Interview in Four Corners: The Boy with the Henna Tattoo, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
DeBrota, S. 2014, Interview in Four Corners: The Boy with the Henna Tattoo, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Griffiths, P. 2014, Interview in Four Corners: The Boy with the Henna Tattoo, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Peacock, J. 2014, Interview in Four Corners: The Boy with the Henna Tattoo, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Rouse, J. 2014, Interview in Four Corners: The Boy with the Henna Tattoo, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Guardian 2013, ‘US lawyer jailed for role in international child exploitation ring’, The Guardian, 18 December.
The Guardian 2014, ‘Australian couple part of global child abuse network, court hears’, The Guardian, 17 March.
The Sydney Morning Herald 2013, ‘Cairns couple jailed over international child abuse case’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 December.
SBS News 2013, ‘Florida attorney and partner sentenced in child exploitation case’, SBS News, 18 December.
The Indianapolis Star 2013, ‘Florida lawyer sentenced in international child exploitation case’, The Indianapolis Star, 18 December.
United States Department of Justice 2012, Florida Attorney and Partner Charged in International Child Exploitation Case, U.S. Department of Justice Press Release, Washington, DC.
United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana 2013, United States v. Peter Truong and Mark Newton, sentencing documents.
United States Postal Inspection Service 2012, Operation Tail of the Dragon Investigation Summary, Washington, DC.
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