Kieran Bourke jailed in the Adelaide District Court for grooming who he believed was a 13-year-old child online

A married man groomed a child online, calling her his ‘sexy young schoolgirl’ and sending her pornography. Little did he know who he was really chatting to.

A man who sent sexualised messages to a 13-year-old schoolgirl claims it was just an “online sexual fantasy”.

Kieran John Bourke, 41, was jailed in the Adelaide District Court last week, for grooming the child online for his own sexual gratification.

The court heard Bourke initiated a conversation on the Kik platform with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl on April 12, last year at Port Lincoln.

“You did not know you were really communicating with an undercover police officer,” Judge Karen Thomas said during sentencing.

“Over the following two weeks, you gradually increased the sexual nature of your messages and asked the complainant for photographs of herself.

“You told her you wished you were younger so you could be her boyfriend and referred to her bed as being lucky to have her ‘sexy’ body lying on it.”

The court heard Bourke offered the victim pornographic videos and sent her sexualised GIFs, saying he wanted to do those sexual things to her.

Kieran Bourke was jailed in the Adelaide District Court last week. Picture: File

“You sent further sexualised messages to your ‘sexy young schoolgirl’, as you called her,” Judge Thomas said.

The court heard Bourke sent the victim more messages on May 26 saying he wanted to see her.

“You sent her messages expressing your frustration and your desires about touching the gorgeous girl you were falling for that you could not hold, kiss, caress and do naughty things with,” Judge Thomas said.

Bourke was arrested on May 30, last year.

“You admitted that you knew that you were chatting with a 13-year-old schoolgirl, you told the police that you never planned to meet up with her and your communications were an online sexual fantasy,” Judge Thomas said.

Bourke, of North Beach, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of communicating for a prurient purpose and with the intention of making a child amenable to sexual activity.

The court heard Bourke, who is working as a FIFO worker in remote Australia, is a father-of-two.

“You are married but now estranged from your partner,” Judge Thomas said.

The court heard Bourke, who was suffering from mental health problems during his offending, is deeply ashamed of his actions.

“At the time of your offending you were a mature adult, with two primary school age children of your own,” Judge Thomas said.

“You groomed a 13-year-old for your own sexual gratification, your conduct was stopped by your arrest.”

Judge Thomas sentenced Bourke to one year and eight months jail, with a non-parole period of 13 months.

“Given the prevalence of social media, the community is particularly concerned about adults grooming children by engaging them in sexualised conversations, often as a precursor to sexually assaulting them,” she said.

“It is fortunate that you were communicating with an undercover police officer and that your conduct did not in fact corrupt a child.”