Alleged accomplice of Families SA paedophile admits committing serious child sex offences

AN accomplice of paedophile Shannon McCoole will face more charges for uploading perverted material to the former Familes SA worker’s vile website. But he seems more worried about getting a good night’s sleep.

AN accomplice of paedophile Shannon McCoole will face more charges because he has confessed to uploading perverted material to the former Familes SA worker’s vile website.

David Glen Cecchin has also been given a one-day adjournment of his District Court case due to concerns about his health, sparked by his detention in Yatala Labour Prison’s G Division.

He told the court he “couldn’t remember anything” about his case because he had “not slept in a week” since being transferred to the prison’s high-security section.

“When I came down from Mt Gambier prison, they called it a protectee overflow and I was thrown in G-Division,” he said.

“There’s basically four walls, two canvas blankets, no pillow, no nothing.

“Every few hours when the officers come by, they shine a torch in the door and on to your face ... if you don’t have your hand up, they’ll focus on your eyes so you wake up.

“I haven’t slept since last Wednesday when I was in Mt Gambier.”

The Advertiser, however, understands Cecchin has since been relocated to the lower-security J Division — where McCoole himself is being held.

Cecchin, 27, of Flagstaff Hill, is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea to one aggravated count of disseminating child pornography but maintains he is guilty of two other charges.

McCoole, a former Families SA carer, is serving a 35-year jail term for the horrific abuse of young children in his care, and for his role as “CEO” of the website.

In October, Cecchin took the stand to deny he had disseminated child pornography and, in the process, confessed to several other, more serious criminal offences.

Among those admissions was a concession that his use of child pornography was ongoing, not isolated offending as prosecutors had alleged.

The court has also heard Cecchin wrote a letter to his previous lawyer defending the use of child exploitation material, saying children could react “positively” to sex acts.

On Wednesday, prosecutors told the court those admissions would likely result in further charges being filed once Cecchin’s cross-examination had concluded.

Judge Rosemary Davey told defence counsel Ben Sale she considered that an appropriate course.

“Your client has admitted a large amount of other acts that are, in many ways, much more serious than that with which he was originally charged,” she said.

“To be very blunt about it, they go way beyond the original charges.”

Resuming his evidence, a visibly distressed Cecchin said he could not remember anything because he had “not slept in a week”.

Judge Davey adjourned the hearing until Thursday and ordered Cecchin undergo immediate psychiatric assessment.

She refused Ms Sale’s plea for his client to be released on bail, into his parent’s care, for 24 hours.

“He shouldn't be kept in custody in a way that leaves him unable to give evidence,” she said.

“It’s his deprivation of liberty that’s appropriate, not that he’s to be punished by the manner of his housing.

“I’m not prepared to accept just what he has said thus far as adequate reasons for release on bail.”

Cecchin broke down in tears as he was led back to the cells.

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