CFS volunteer Matthew Richard Gardiner faces 70 child grooming charges

A court has been told the man was “impulsive” and “almost uncontrollable” as he pleaded for release on bail.

A CFS volunteer arrested twice in 11 hours for allegedly sexually grooming 57 teenagers is an “impulsive, almost uncontrollable” predator who police cannot stop from reoffending if given bail, a court has heard.

On Thursday, SA Police urged the Adelaide Magistrates Court to keep Matthew Richard Gardiner behind bars while he is prosecuted on 70 counts of communicating with children online.

A prosecutor told Magistrate Karim Soetratma that, if Mr Gardiner were given even strict home detention bail, police had no way of ensuring he would stay off the internet.

“His movements may be monitored, but there’s no alarm bell that rings if he does use the internet,” he said.

“Given the impulsive nature of his almost uncontrollable behaviour in contacting children in this manner, we suggest he will continue to offend on bail.

“We say he is an extreme risk to the community.”

Mr Gardiner, 32, was arrested in October by the state’s elite Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.

He was charged with grooming a 15-year-old girl for sex while also talking to 206 other people “for sexual purposes” under the name “OzDude”.

Mr Gradiner was granted home detention bail but immediately rearrested and charged with a further 56 offences, with JACET warning they expected to find more victims.

On Thursday, the prosecutor said each of the 56 new charges related to an individual victim aged between 12 and 16.

He said Mr Gardiner had demanded and received explicit photos from each of them, communicating with some only once, others for weeks or months, and some “for two years”.

The prosecutor described the content of the alleged communications as “graphic”, saying Mr Gardiner told the girls he wanted to impregnate them.

Counsel for Mr Gardiner said her client had “been rearrested within 11 hours” of his original release, and so remained a suitable candidate for bail.

“These (new) charges refer to material allegedly found on his electronic devices, not offending while on bail,” she said.

She told Mr Soetratma he had originally authorised Mr Gardiner’s release, and should do so again.

Mr Soetratma disagreed.

“My original decision was a finely-balanced one, and now there are a total of 70 charges … the presumption in favour of bail has been displaced,” he said.

He remanded Mr Gardiner in custody to face court again next month.