Robert Kelly pleaded guilty to possession of child abuse material after more than 2000 pictures, videos found

A former marketing business owner has been jailed after he was caught with thousands of sickening child abuse images and videos.

A former marketing business owner caught with more than 2000 images and videos of child abuse material has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Robert Kelly, a dual Australian and UK citizen, pleaded guilty to three offences, including to using a carriage service for child pornography material, using a carriage service for child abuse material and possession or control of child abuse material held or contained in a data storage device.

The 68-year-old’s first offence, which included downloading one image and 8 video files of child pornography, featuring kids as young as four, to his hard drive in August 2019.

Since then, Mr Kelly had downloaded hundreds of videos and images of child abuse material onto several devices, including his computer, smart phone and tablet.

Some of the files came from a group on encrypted private messaging app Signal, of which he was a member of from December 15, 2022 to May 18, 2023.

Judge Michael Durrant described the files as “highly depraved”. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

In his sentencing remarks on Monday at the district court, Judge Michael Durrant said Mr Kelly last downloaded child abuse material less than three weeks before his arrest in June last year.

“The volume of child abuse material, over 2,000 different files, indicates the level of sophistication and effort and planning involved in your conduct,” he said.

He described some of the files in Mr Kelly’s possession, which include infants, as “highly depraved.”

The files feature both animated and real children “being subjected to sexually degrading acts” and rape by adult men, the judge said.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA District Court – Sir Samuel Way Building. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

The judge said Mr Kelly grew up in the UK, migrating to Australia in the 90s with a woman he would marry in 2014. At one point, Mr Kelly ran his own marketing and sales company, employing several people. It is understood that businesses has been sold.

Mr Kelly and his wife would divorce five years after marriage, leading to a loss of assets for Mr Kelly, the judge said.

Judge Durrant said he was told Mr Kelly experienced “dark times since 2022 and a clinical diagnosis of depression was made in early 2023”.

Speaking on his crimes, the judge said although the Australian Federal Police have not been able to specifically identify the children depicted in the child abuse material, Mr Kelly’s crimes were not victimless.

“Although those child victims are unidentifiable they have nevertheless been exploited. Your child victims have suffered psychological harm,” he said.

The judge said each offence attracts a maximum period of 15 years imprisonment as well as significant financial penalties.

“There is no evidence to establish your sexual attraction to children no longer exists,” Judge Durrant said.

“I have in all the circumstances drawn the further rational inference you remain sexually attracted to children and to child abuse material. Your sexual attraction to children and child abuse material inherently means you are at a higher risk of reoffending.”

Mr Kelly was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and three months.

Judge Durrant said he would backdate the sentence to start on 6 June 2023, when Mr Kelly was arrested and taken into custody.

“Your counsel said that when you are released from custody you intend to return to England to be with your family,” he said.