David Charles Maunder to be jailed after being caught in sting grooming ‘children’ for sex

A failed trucking boss and child predator has been told to prepare for jail after being caught in a police sting sending nude photos.

A 43-year-old man still denies he has a sexual interest in children despite sending nude photographs to a 13-year-old girl.

David Charles Maunder was told to tidy up his affairs before being jailed later this month after he was caught in an undercover police sting.

Christine Hanna, for the prosecution, told Adelaide District Court Maunder believed he was talking to children aged 13 and 14 who were actually undercover officers.

“The defendant sent her a picture of his penis, he sent a picture of female masturbating diagrams, he asked her for nude pictures and he tried to incite the person he was communicating with to masturbate,” Ms Hanna said.

The court heard Maunder was “persistent” in his requests to the fictitious children.

David Maunder pleaded guilty to communicating to procure a child for sexual activity. Photo: Facebook

Maunder, of Port Noarlunga, pleaded guilty to three counts of communicating to procure a child for sexual activity, between April 2020 and July 2021.

Peter Hill, for Maunder, told the court his client had engaged in counselling-based rehabilitation and was determined to never reoffend again.

Mr Hill said Maunder was exposed to pornography from a young age and turned to online sexual activity after the trauma of his wife’s delivery of his youngest son.

“And the addition of consuming alcohol further lowering his inhibitions in the context of his pornography addiction,” he said.

The court heard Maunder, a father-of-three, told a psychologist he didn’t have a sexual interest in children.

Mr Hill told the court Maunder was facing bankruptcy and his trucking business was in the process of shutting down.

Mr Hill said he accepted jail couldn’t be avoided for the offending but asked for Maunder’s bail not to be revoked as he still had to close up his business and liaise with the tax office about his debts before sentencing.

“You know you’re going to prison, you need to tidy up your affairs,” Judge Michael Durrant said.

Maunder will be sentenced later this month.