A 50-year-old Barton man is facing court after allegedly using an instant messaging application to share child-abuse material.

Police say they received information in January about a user of an instant messaging application who was transmitting child-abuse material.

Following enquiries, police linked the Barton man to the account and on Saturday searched his home.

A mobile phone was seized and will be examined by police.

The man is charged with two counts of using a carriage service for child-abuse material.