Dennis Malcolm Rayner jailed for series of child sexual abuse offences
A man who sent naked photographs to covert police who he believed were children online was also caught with “abhorrent” child abuse material upon his arrest.
North & North East
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A man with a “disturbing” sexual interest in children has been sentenced for sending naked photographs to covert police who he believed were children.
Dennis Malcolm Rayner, 53, was jailed for over two years after struggling to explain why he committed his “depraved” offending.
During sentencing, the District Court heard Rayner was the target of a covert police operation in which police officers assumed the identities of 13, 14 and 15-year-old girls.
The court heard Rayner sent naked photos of himself to the undercover officers on the application Kik, with his communications demonstrating a clear sexual interest in children.
Court documents show Rayner communicated to make a child amenable to sexual activity twice on May 24, last year again on May 25, and a fourth time on July 19.
Rayner was also communicating with a woman on Telegram who sent him 10 videos and images in June last year of “extremely disturbing” child exploitation material.
“Your communications with the woman reveal your sexual excitement over the material you were sent and viewed,” Judge Paul Muscat said.
Rayner acknowledged the wrongfulness of his behaviour in a police interview but struggled to explain his actions.
The Gawler man pleaded guilty to multiple charges of communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity and one count of possessing child exploitation material.
Just hours before he was arrested in November, Rayner was working out, posting a gym workout to his well-used online fitness profile.
Rayner became the third northern suburbs man arrested and charged with the same offences in the space of two weeks.
His arrest came after an investigation by detectives from the SA Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, known as JACET.
JACET is a partnership between SA Police and the Australian Federal Police.
There is no suggestion any of the allegations are linked.
Judge Muscat said while Rayner’s “depraved” conduct appeared to be out of character, he obviously had a disturbing sexual interest in children that could not be overlooked.
He sentenced Rayner to two years and four months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and 11 months.
“The sexual abuse of children as depicted in the child exploitation material you were sent is abhorrent,” Judge Muscat said.
“The law demands that children be protected from being sexually abused to gratify the perverted sexual interest or attraction of adults towards that abuse.”
The sentence was backdated to July 19.
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