Notorious SA paedophile Philip Corlett Carey back in jail, again, for child pornography offences

NOTORIOUS paedophile Philip Corlett Carey is behind bars yet again — this time for being caught with hundreds of perverted images on his home computer.

NOTORIOUS paedophile Philip Corlett Carey is behind bars yet again — this time for being caught with hundreds of perverted images on his home computer.

Carey, 82, has been offending against the children of the state under three different names for more than 50 years.

Today, District Court Judge David Lovell said that lengthy history — along with a lack of insight into his crimes — meant no punishment save 12 months’ jail was appropriate.

“You have expressed shame about your previous offending but you believe this offence was a victimless crime — it is not,” he said.

“You appear to have little insight into your offending and (previously) expressed the view that your view and that of the law (about pornography) were not always consistent.”

Carey pleaded guilty to one aggravated count of possessing child pornography — 686 images depicting children under the age of 14 years.

He has previously used the surnames Teare and Cryer, and his record of child sex crimes dates back to 1961.

He was that year imprisoned for offending against prepubescent boys, and served sentences for similar offences in 1969, 1973, 1979, 1984, 1994 — when he paid his victim $2 — and 1995.

Carey is most infamous for having once referred to his victims as “pieces of meat” with no personality, and was chemically castrated in an attempt to curb his sexual instincts.

In January 1999 he was arrested for approaching young boys in contravention of a paedophile restraining order — and subsequently changed his name.

He was jailed in 2007 for breaching his restraining order a further 47 times and, upon his parole, was charged with the child pornography offences.

In June last year, Carey told the court he downloaded images of clothed children because they were “safe” and no breach of the law.

He then sought to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming his previous solicitors had given him “incorrect advice” about his case.

Judge Lovell refused to allow him to do so, at which time Carey refused to accept his guilt.

In February, Carey’s lawyers claimed their client had been searching for classical music when images of shirtless boys “appeared” on his computer.

They also claimed he had formed a “good relationship” with a therapist who was helping him change his ways.

Today, Judge Lovell said a psychiatric report concluded Carey suffered from no mental illness and was unlikely to offend physically against children — but only due to his age.

He said the report noted Carey’s attention had shifted to images, such as those he had downloaded.

“It was put to me you were searching for classical music, and I reject that,” he said.

“I do not accept this downloading was an accident.”

However, he conceded Carey was not looking for explicit child pornography but, rather, images which “skirted the border” of criminality.

“For reasons that are known only to you, you decided to run the risk,” he said.

Judge Lovell jailed Carey for 12 months and 15 days, a sentence that included discounts for his plea and the unexpired portion of his parole.

He imposed a non-parole period of seven months and declined to suspend the sentence.

Ralph Bleechmore, for Carey, then asked the court to delay operation of the sentence for 14 days so that his client could get his affairs in order.

He said prisoners in Denmark were often afforded such an opportunity, and submitted it would be beneficial for Carey.

Judge Lovell declined his request, and Carey was taken into custody.