A 21-year-old man has been charged for allegedly having sexual with a child under 16-years old, police have said.

Detective Acting Superintendent Justin Bentley said the alleged offender was arrested in the greater Darwin area on December 20 after the NT Police Child Abuse Taskforce, and the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team, served a search warrant on his house in an unspecified area.

He said several electronic devices police believed to be used online to lure victims were also confiscated during the arrest.

Act Supt Bentley said police alleged the man had been grooming the victim for some time across social media.

The suspect, he said, was charged with two counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 16, using carriage service to procure a child under 16-years old, and indecent dealing with a child under 16-years old.

“Police urge parents to consider their children’s online safety by reviewing their children’s online activity and the social media platforms that they use. Prevention and education are essential in keeping children safe online,” Act Supt Bentley said.

If you have information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation, you can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit the Crime Stoppers website.

You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the report abuse button.