Michael Drennan jailed for possessing and spreading child exploitation material

A married barista who used WhatsApp to share serious child exploitation material and make disturbing comments said he is ashamed and embarrassed.

A barista who possessed and spread child exploitation material through WhatsApp said he felt revolting about himself for doing so.

Michael James Drennan, 34, was jailed in the Adelaide District Court on Tuesday for being actively involved in a “serious social evil”.

Michael Drennan was jailed in the Adelaide District Court on Tuesday for possessing and disseminating child exploitation material. Photo: Facebook

Police attended Drennan’s Ethelton home on August 25 upon information that he had been accessing child exploitation material.

They analysed his phone.

“You had used your mobile to disseminate two videos to another mobile telephone using WhatsApp,” Judge Karen Thomas said during sentencing.

The court heard the videos were of a boy performing a sexual act on a man.

“The child in the video you disseminated by the second message was estimated to be 10 years of age,” Judge Thomas said.

The court heard police also located several further videos of child exploitation material on Drennan’s phone and reviewed his WhatsApp conversations.

“It shows you did not merely possess and on two separate occasions disseminate child exploitation material but you repeatedly asked to be sent this type of material,” Judge Thomas said.

“In your WhatsApp conversation you were an active participant and made numerous disturbing comments about engaging with and meeting children and adult males to engage in penetrative sexual activity.”

The court heard the images and videos were all classified in category three or four.

Category four of the Oliver scale – which forms the basis on which child exploitation images and videos are graded – involves penetrative sexual activity between children only or adults and children.

Drennan, of Ethelton had previously pleaded guilty to possessing and disseminating child exploitation material.

The court heard Drennan, who works as a barista and is married, has been seeking professional help for his offending.

“You told Doctor White that you knew what you were doing was illegal and it made you feel revolting,” Judge Thomas said.

“You told him you now feel a lot of shame and embarrassment for having seen those videos and you have a very low opinion of yourself.”

Judge Thomas said Drennan needed to be adequately punished for contributing to a “serious social evil”.

“These children are vulnerable and unable to protect themselves from the substantial harm they suffer from being exploited,” she said.

Judge Thomas sentenced Drennan to two years jail, with a non-parole period of one year and one month.