Convicted child sex offender John Edward Madex breaks down in tears as he learns his fate

A “depraved” man already convicted of abusing a young girl has been sentenced over hundreds of photos and videos of child exploitation after he was released from jail.

A convicted child sex offender broke down in tears in the dock as he learnt his fate for accessing vile ‘depraved’ child exploitation material.

John Edward Madex, 74, had 325 web searches for child exploitation material, targeting children aged between 11 and 13, a court has heard.

During his sentencing remarks in the Mount Gambier District Court, Judge Heath Barklay slammed Madex for fuelling international demand for the sexual exploitation of children.

“The problem of child pornography is international — people like you who access child exploitation material only fuel the market for these images and videos,” Judge Barklay said.

“What follows is the continued abuse of children.

“It goes without saying that they are the real victims in all of this.”

Madex was discovered by police during a routine search of the convicted sex offender’s phone and property.

Police discovered 96 files of child exploitation material on the accused’s phone, the court heard.

John Edward Madex has been sentenced after he pleaded guilty to obtaining child, exploitation material. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Madex’s internet search history was filled with horrific terms including “rape”, “virgins” and “daddy-daughter”, the court heard.

Judge Barklay expressed concern that some of the titles, included phrases such as, “animal girl sex”.

Prosecutor Georgina Nicholson described Madex as “depraved” with a “sexual inclination” towards little girls.

Madex is a serious sexual offender and was convicted of committing sexual abuse on a seven-year-old on “at least three occasions” during the 1980s, the court heard.

“He clearly has a very strong sexual interest in little girls,” Ms Nicholson said.

“It’s still concerning that when speaking to a psychiatrist, he was unable to admit the truth of the reason for his offending.”

Madex pleaded guilty to accessing child exploitation material, with the court hearing he initially believed accessing child exploitation material was harmless as he “wasn’t hurting anyone”.

A psychological report submitted to the court found Madex had a high risk of reoffending, given his previous conviction and lack of insight to his latest offending.

However, his lawyer Kate Annells told the court her client now understood his actions are “creating the conditions whereby children are abused”.

The court heard Madex had a difficult childhood and was looking after himself on the streets by the age of 14.

When he was 24, the defendant was due to be married to a woman he had impregnated, but on his wedding day he lost his best friend, pregnant fiance and future father in-law after they died in a horror crash with a petrol truck.

Following the loss he became a heavy drinker and has little memory of the subsequent 10 years, the court heard.

After a 25 per cent sentencing discount was applied for his early guilty plea, Madex was sentenced to one year and one month imprisonment with a non-parole period of 10 months and 25 days.