Gareth James Brereton jailed for possessing child abuse material
A Geelong bus driver has learnt his fate after being caught with child abuse material of “a most depraved nature” on his hard-drives.
A Geelong bus driver has been jailed after being caught with hard-drives of “most repugnant” child abuse material.
Gareth James Brereton, 43, was on Friday sentenced to eighteen months jail by a County Court judge.
However, he will be released on a recognizance release order after serving six months of that sentence, on the condition he pay $2000 and remain of good behaviour for three years.
Brereton pleaded guilty to possessing or controlling child abuse material and failing to comply with an order.
The court heard the Newcomb home he was living in was raided by police in December last year, after an IP-address linked to Brereton’s phone was used to access a known child abuse material website.
Police seized 19 devices, four of which Brereton refused to provide the access codes for, although it was noted no child abuse material was found on those four devices.
A total of 76 files containing child abuse material — 65 of which were unique — was found across three hard-drives.
The judge described the material as “most repugnant” and descriptions of the material are too graphic to publish.
“You were in possession of material of a most depraved nature, including depictions of both pre-pubescent and post-pubescent children engaging in fellatio, masturbation, being vaginally penetrated by adult males and in sexual poses,” the judge told the father-of-three, noting his offending was serious and must be denounced.
“Some of the images included depictions of the children being bound.”
Brereton’s lawyers noted a lack of aggravating features, such as if Brereton had been distributing or profiting from the material.
“While you did not distribute the material yourself, you were in possession of it which assists with the distribution of this objectively evil activity,” the judge told Brereton, noting the images and videos “depicted real children, who are the victims of sexual abuse”.
Although Brereton admitted to using the material for his own sexual gratification and showed “noteworthy hebephiliac arousal patterns”, a psychologist found they were not entrenched to a degree that a warranted the diagnosis of a paraphilia.
The judge found his moral culpability was high, although she accepted the psychologist’s finding that Brereton likely suffered an adjustment disorder at the time of the offending.
He had no underlying or cognitive health issues, and had since expressed “appropriate and insightful remorse”, the court heard.
Brereton, who came from a poor family and had a “difficult home life”, had no prior criminal record.
He reported becoming “hooked” on adult pornography at 10 or 11, before accessing child abuse material following the breakdown of his marriage.
The court heard Brereton had positive prospects of rehabilitation and community supports in his current partner and friends.
Brereton must register as a sex offender for eight years.
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Originally published as Gareth James Brereton jailed for possessing child abuse material
