Commissioner Atkinson oversaw reforms after the Fitzgerald inquiry from 1990 as well as the Public Sector Management Commission Review and Report Recommendations of the Queensland Police Service in 1993.

“The Community looks for leadership from organisations and institutions today as they have always done. Sadly many have failed in the past. True leadership is about being able to determine what we should be doing and Bravehearts is one such organisation that shows this true leadership.”

In 2005, after leading the Australian response to Operation Auxin (USA Operation Falcon) Jon presented at the Australasian police Commissioner’s conference hosted in Brisbane and gained national support for the development of the ANVIL project (Australian National Victim Image Library) to assist police officers in the process of identifying the child victims depicted in video and still images seized from child sex offenders.  This is now known as AVID (Australian Victim Identification Database and is hosted at the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation – ACCCE).

At the same conference, the Commissioners supported Jon’s recommendation for the implementation of what has now become Operation Griffin (formerly the ANZPAA Child Protection Committee), to ensure a nationally consistent approach to the investigation of crimes against children.

He has instigated and led multiple national and international major operations targeting child exploitation criminal networks and has delivered training to law enforcement officers on online child exploitation investigations across all States and Territories in Australia and internationally.

Jon has also represented Australian law enforcement as a speaker at multiple United Nations conferences.

• In 2011 he accepted the International Cyber Crime Gold Award on behalf of Task Force Argos.
• In May 2018, Jon accepted the ‘Champion for Children Award’ in New York from the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children for his dedication to fighting and investigating crimes against children.
• Jon was awarded the Queensland Australian of the Year for 2019.

In July 2019, after assisting with initial planning and conceptual designs, Jon was seconded to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation to lead the Covert Online operations team, Victim Identification Unit and Training team. During the secondment he was awarded three Commissioners Citations for his leadership in developing and designing the ACCCE and for developing the AFP Covert Online Engagement Unit.  He also received AFP Commissioner’s Certificates for conceiving and leading the Australian component of Europol’s Trace an Object and for the award-winning podcast ‘Closing the Net’.

Jon is currently the Chair of the INTERPOL Covert Internet Investigators Group and is a Director with The Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB) and with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

He is the recipient of four Queensland Police Commissioner’s Certificates for his operational leadership and two Queensland Police Excellence Awards for Child Protection Prevention.

Jon is the recipient of the Queensland Police Medal, the National Service Medal, the Exemplary Conduct Medal, the National Police Medal and the Australian Police Medal.

In January 2023 was appointed as an Associate Professor with Monash University at the AiLECS Lab (Artificial Intelligence for Law Enforcement and Community Safety).

In 2022, Amelia won a 7 NEWS Australia Young Achievers Award for her work in film, songwriting and advocacy. Amelia is passionate about promoting Cyber Safety to her peers, advocating for young survivors and preventing child sexual abuse.

“I’m so honoured to be a Young Ambassador of Bravehearts. I want to use my platform to give a Voice to those kids who need our help.”

Remarkably, Stacey, now 43, has not only survived to tell the tale but managed to defy the odds by using her street-smart wisdom to thrive, and help others from all walks of life do so too. As the co-founder of a million-dollar printing business, her tenacity and commitment have seen her nominated for several business awards.

As a qualified leadership coach and mentor, Stacey is known for her rawness, honesty and compassion.

However, it is as a motivational speaker that Stacey is best known. Her keynote speech Good Riddance: How to Make Hard Choices Easy for a Change has captivated audiences across Australia. In fact, the self-described ‘rough-around-the-edges chick’ often pinches herself when rubbing shoulders with everyone from those in rags to those in riches.

Sharing the stage with countless thought leaders, Stacey has also appeared on TV shows such as the Today Show, 7.30 Report and 60 Minutes to share her against-the-odds life story. She has featured in many newspapers and magazines such as BRW, The Age and The Herald Sun.

For Cheryl, breaking the silence and shame are the first important steps in bringing the crime of sexual assault to light.

Cheryl Gajda is currently completing a PhD in Primary Science Education. She also holds a Master of Teaching and currently works as a primary/secondary classroom teacher and University lecturer. Cheryl is also a very passionate wildlife ambassador, ecologist and animal rescuer, with a Bachelor of Science (Honours).

“I’m proud of what we have achieved together, but the mission has only just begun and there is a lot of hard work ahead.

I want to help provide a world where all kids can enjoy life and grow up in a safe environment. I look forward to supporting Bravehearts 777 Marathon event each year, which consists of an almost a year-long campaign of creating funds, awareness and bringing many others along on the journey to assist in helping Bravehearts keep our kids safe.”

As a survivor of child sexual abuse, I am passionate and committed to changing the status quo and reducing the trauma and stigma surrounding child sexual abuse. I am a full-time police officer, survivor, speaker, and an author of a book ‘Unscathed Beauty,’ where I share my personal journey of abuse. Through this, my heart is to encourage the tough conversations, let survivors know they are not alone and to break the insidious cycle of child sexual abuse through awareness and education.

I stand with conviction and share Bravehearts’ dedication to educating, empowering and protecting all children and their Vision of making Australia the safest place to raise a child.”

Angus can be seen in feature films Hotel Mumbai alongside Dev Patel and Armie Hammer, the Aussie comedy The Merger with Kate Mulvany and John Howard, and in the romantic comedy film The Naked Wanderer alongside screen legend John Cleese (Monty Python, Faulty Towers).

As a bars specialist, in 2012 Larrissa placed 1st at the Gymnix International and 3rd at the Zibo World Cup (CHN). She was a member of the team that secured a spot in the Olympic Games by qualifying 6th at the 2011 World Championships in Japan.

At the 2014 Australian Gymnastics Championships, Larrissa was the top qualifier coming into the Uneven Bars final.

Larrissa was a stand-out at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, winning a silver medal on the Uneven Bars, and also helping secure the silver medal in the team competition.

Being involved in the marathon is an absolute passion of mine – it was a truly life changing experience. Bringing people together to spread the word of Bravehearts gets it out in to the community more and inspires others to get behind the organisation by stepping outside their comfort zone.

Child sexual abuse is an uncomfortable subject for people to speak about, but it needs to be shared for us to make a difference to children and adults who are affected.

I will run for Bravehearts for as long as my legs will carry me, then I will walk or crawl until we see an end to these assaults and make Australia the safest place in the world to raise a child.”

I am a strong and powerful mother of 3 teenage children Charlize 19, and Twins Kai & Siobhan 16, with whom I have had firsthand parenting experience of teaching personal safety skills for life. Enforcing that they always have a right to feel safe all the time and nothing is so bad that they cannot speak to anyone about it. Having a close strong network of family and friends is so powerful to children and can be life-changing to boost self-esteem and confidence.

Working across the sector and providing high-quality education and care that exceeds the national quality standards it goes without saying that children’s personal safety is deemed a high priority. Over the years there have been endless opportunities to empower thousands of children and build resilience to conquer the world to face their biggest fears and challenges that they may encounter in life.

As an influential leader to hundreds of educators and with thousands of industry connections, it is crucial to place a large emphasis on the importance of ongoing learning and development by way of Child Protection for educators and early childhood professionals.

Being in a supportive role to thousands of children and families within the community, it is an honour to be in a position to advocate for children’s safety and well-being as an influential mentor to educate and facilitate the support that is required.”

Unfortunately, after the trials the verdict was ‘not guilty’ and he walked away. Sarah has faced a lot of adversity throughout her life however, she never gave up and continues to overcome any challenges life throws at her.

She now wants to use her experience to protect victim/survivors through their disclosure journey and give a voice to those who have been silenced for too long. Sarah is passionate in removing the stigma around child sexual abuse and changing current gag laws within Queensland.

“Everyone should be able to share their story.” 

She also wants to help improve the conversations around child sexual assault and educating people on how to define the abuse. 

Sarah started studying Exercise Physiology, Paramedics and now enjoys her job as a Sonographer. She loves being outdoors exercising and her goal is to one day complete the Braveheart’s 777 marathon – 7 marathons in 7 days. 

“We need to remove the stigma around child sexual assault and give our children voices, as perpetrators prey on our silence. If we speak up, we remove their power. By removing their power, we might one day see a decline in abuse numbers.” 

“I am truly humbled to be part of such an amazing organisation, an organisation that offers unwavering strength and support to so many children and adults affected by sexual abuse. As a mother of three young boys it is my duty and responsibility to protect them, and part of this role is to educate, raise awareness and break the silence on what has historically been a taboo topic. As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

He has also completed a Master of Arts (with Distinction) at Charles Sturt University, studied mediation at Bond University and completed Executive Education at Harvard in the United States.

Rob’s audiobook Poetry For Men (who thought they’d never like poetry) was described by Melissa Doyle as “A beautiful idea and a fabulous voice”.

Listed by Business Review Weekly as one of Australia’s top-10 professional speakers, Rob helps leaders and teams to reduce conflict and build trust. Industries he has presented to include; education, finance, healthcare, hospitality and mining. His autobiography, What I Didn’t Learn at Harvard, describes the challenges, and the rewards, of following your own path.

“Sharing my story has given me back the power of my narrative and enabled me to help others who have survived child sexual abuse. It’s something I never thought I’d speak publicly about, but since doing so I have been met with great support and I feel empowered now to reduce survivors’ isolation. It’s not a pretty topic to talk about, but the reality is to put a stop to this we need to be talking. We can achieve so much through conversation, education and learning the skills to identify signs early in order to prevent abuse occurring.”

“I think the little me would be very proud of my work right now to make Australia a safer place for young people. I’m very grateful for the work of every individual committed to improving our world and thankful for the work of Bravehearts in educating, empowering and protecting our kids. Thank you to every individual supporting this fight, we’re all in this together.”

Through my involvement with Bravehearts, I also work towards providing support for families of victims and education regarding protective behaviours to ensure we are creating a safer place for our children to grow and prosper.”

She went on to represent Australia (Matlilda’s) before setting her sights on Rugby League. Hannah was contracted with the Australian Sevens team and now plays for the Sydney Roosters. She has represented Australia (Jilaroo’s) and NSW in the women’s State of Origin team.

Hannah was named as a finalist in the 2020 Dally M awards and won tackle of the year. Hannah is keen to use her voice, and role, to support Bravehearts – to help protect Aussie Kids.

Ross was educated at the Geelong College, qualified as an accountant and joined the Grace McKellar Centre which became the passion of his life. Ross was instrumental in providing funding for the Bravehearts education team in Geelong, allowing Bravehearts to deliver personal safety programs for kindergarten and primary school children in the Geelong region. Ross has supported his community for many years and is an advisor for Geelong Community Foundation.

In 2015 Ross was awarded the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to sport and to the community of Geelong, and Jan was awarded the Medal (OAM) in 2021 for her service to the arts, to the community, and to badminton.