Ex-Port Lincoln musician Samuel Barlow sentenced to 18 months home detention for possessing child exploitation material

A popular musician became a social outcast after pleading guilty to possessing vile child abuse images. But he won’t have to go to jail.

A musician feels shame and disgust for supporting the child exploitation industry, after being caught with a significant amount of material.

Samuel David Barlow, 35, avoided jail in the Adelaide District Court on Wednesday, due to the fact he was able to rehabilitate himself from his fantasy life.

The court heard police attended Barlow’s Port Lincoln home on November 6, 2018.

“You were present at the premises with your infant daughter,” Judge Simon Stretton said during sentencing.

Police analysed Barlow’s phone and found a large amount of photos.

“Police reviewed approximately 1000 of the images stored and of those images 837 were child exploitation material,” Judge Stretton said.

“Following a further scan of the remaining images police confirmed that the majority were also child exploitation material.”

The court heard 196 of the images were classified as category four and 16 were in category five.

Category five on the Oliver scale – which forms the basis on which child exploitation images and videos are graded – is where a child is subjected to sadism, torture, bestiality or humiliation.

Samuel Barlow was sentenced in the Adelaide District Court on Wednesday for possessing child exploitation material. Photo: Facebook

Barlow, of Venus Bay, had previously pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material.

The court heard Barlow had completed a bachelor of teaching at university.

“Due to matters that occurred around 2012 you have been barred from utilising your teaching qualifications since that time,” Judge Stretton said.

“You are disappointed that you can never pursue a career in teaching or coaching children due to this offending.”

The court heard Barlow made his living by running a music entertainment business, which was successful until Covid-19 hit.

He then moved to the Yorke Peninsula to live with his parents, where he assists his father with farming.

“You have been socially outcast, you are shunned and rejected by the community and have no friends,” Judge Stretton said.

“You feel as though you have disappointed and betrayed your family through your offending.”

Samuel Barlow will serve his sentence on home detention. Photo: Facebook

The court heard a psychologist’s report said Barlow’s offending stemmed from development issues, which led him to investing in a fantasy life to seek self-gratification.

“You began accessing child pornography of male boys around 2015, you say that this was mostly connected to periods where you were heavily drinking alcohol,” Judge Stretton said.

The court heard Barlow was able to rehabilitate himself and stop drinking, as well as coming to grips with his underlying problems.

“You now understand the terrible harm caused by the child exploitation industry, you feel a sense of disgust and shame that your activity would have supported an industry that exploits children,” Judge Stretton said.

Judge Stretton sentenced Barlow to 18 months jail, with a non-parole period of 10 months.

He said while Barlow’s offending was serious, he had sought intensive treatment and was unlikely to reoffend.

Judge Stretton ordered the sentence be served on home detention, with Barlow to complete 300 hours of community service within 18 months.