Darwin dentist’s son Samuel Robert Eupene pleads guilty to grooming children via social media

The man’s lawyer said despite his ‘bizarre, role-playing behaviour’ online being ‘smutty and unpleasant’, he was not a pedophile. Read why his parents want to see him rehabilitated.

Samuel Robert Eupene, 47, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to more than 30 charges. Picture: Jason Walls

The son of an “extremely well-known” Darwin medical practitioner busted with hundreds of child abuse images after grooming children for sex via social media is “not a pedophile”, a court has heard.

Samuel Robert Eupene, 47, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to more than 30 charges, including accessing 336 child abuse files and sending explicit photos to young teenagers via the Kik messenger service.

In pushing for a non-parole period, commonwealth prosecutor Catherine Marley said Eupene had a “high level of awareness” and was “deliberate in his communications” with children as young as 12.

“The messages were frequently sexually explicit, he sought out multiple users he believed were under the age of 16 and transmitted child abuse material or indecent communications to them,” she said.

“There are three instances where the accused’s communications were aimed at procuring young children to engage in sexual activity with him.

“In relation to count 14, the offender was asked to stop and he continued to message that Kik user, which included sending indecent material after the request was made.”

But in arguing for his client to be released after 22 months time served, defence barrister Jon Tippett KC said Eupene was “a functional drug-taker” who “engaged in constant drug-taking” and had gone on “a bender” at the time of the offending.

Defence lawyer Jon Tippett KC said Eupene’s role-playing was ‘so out there that one wonders what on Earth is going on’. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“If this man is not drug-affected then his behaviour is unlikely to be any risk to the community,” he said.

“He has supportive parents who are with him in court, they obviously disapprove entirely of his behaviour.

“Dr Eupene’s been one of Darwin’s extremely well-known dental practitioners for goodness knows how long, 40 years, or 50, thereabouts and they’re supporting their son but they see the value of rehabilitation too.

“He’s not going to be a bother to us if he gets through that.”

Mr Tippett said “if you get him off the drugs his behaviour won’t persist”.

“Drugs are a significant problem, methamphetamine, up late at night, up for days at a time, bizarre behaviour, role-playing behaviour, smutty and unpleasant as it is, it can be stopped, he’s not a pedophile,” he said.

“When you read some of it, it’s to the point of being bizarre, it is so out there that one wonders what on Earth is going on, other than the activity of a drug-addled mind.”

Eupene will return to court for sentencing on September 20.

Originally published as Darwin dentist’s son Samuel Robert Eupene pleads guilty to grooming children via social media