Text as at 26 April 2026

This provision has not been checked by a human. The text below was read automatically from the official PDF and has not yet been verified against it, so it may differ from the provision as published — in its wording, its numbering, or where one provision ends and the next begins. For the authorised text, see legislation.vic.gov.au.

51S Defence—reasonable steps to prevent use of a website for child abuse material

(1)It is a defence to a charge for an offence against section 51E(1) if A, on becoming aware that the website is being used, or has been used, by another person to deal with child abuse material, takes all reasonable steps in the circumstances to prevent any person from being able to use the website to deal with child abuse material.

(2)In determining whether A has taken all reasonable steps in the circumstances for the purposes of subsection (1), regard must be had to whether A did any of the following as soon as it was practicable to do so—

(a)shut the website down;

(b)modified the operation of the website so that it could not be used to deal with child abuse material;

(c)notified a police officer that the website is being, or has been, used to deal with child abuse material and complied with any reasonable directions given to A by a police officer as to what to do in relation to that use of the website;

(d)notified a relevant industry regulatory authority that the website is being, or has been, used to deal with child abuse material and complied with any reasonable directions given to A by that authority as to what to do in relation to that use of the website.

The reference to A in this section is a reference to the same A referred to in section 51E.