Penola man and woman guilty of child exploitation charges

A man and a woman from Penola will be sentenced in the Mount Gambier District Court after admitting to a string of child exploitation charges.

A man and a woman from Penola are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a string of child pornography charges.

The pair, whose identities have been suppressed, appeared at the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court last week.

The woman’s defence lawyer Kate Annells said the two were jointly involved in the offending.

A Penola man and woman pleaded guilty to child pornography charges in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court. Picture: Tait Schmaal

“I have instructions that my client wishes to plead guilty to these charges,” Ms Annells said.

The woman pleaded guilty to four counts of using a carriage service to make available child pornography and four counts using a carriage service to access child pornography between May 4 and July 19, 2019.

The man, represented by lawyer Dylan Walsh, entered guilty pleas to three counts of using a carriage service to make available child pornography, two counts using a carriage service to access child pornography, processing child exploitation material and processing child exploitation material (aggravated offence).

The offending occurred between May 4 and June 28, 2019 with the charge sheet revealing he was aware the victim of the final charged act was under the age of 14.

Magistrate John Fahey committed the pair for sentencing in the next sitting of the District Court in Mount Gambier in July.