Andrew William Richards accused of five more child abuse charges as he fires one lawyer and gives another ‘inconsistent’ instructions

A man who paid $65,000 to watch children being abused online is facing new charges – and responded by firing his lawyer – as the court releases photos of his home.

A man who paid pedophiles $65,000 to watch children being abused live on the internet has been charged with five more crimes – and remanded in custody for breaching his bail.

However, Andrew William Richards has responded to the new allegations by firing one lawyer and giving his new counsel “instructions that are inconsistent” with his guilty pleas.

Richards, 62, of Elizabeth, was scheduled to face sentencing submissions in the District Court on Tuesday.

He has pleaded guilty to two counts of encouraging child sex offences outside of Australia and using a carriage service to access child exploitation material.

Richards faces a maximum 25-year prison term.

Andrew William Richards outside court. Picture: Tricia Watkinson.

Upon his arrest, SA’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team alleged Richards had paid Filipino child abusers $65,000 to watch their crimes live and online over a 15-year period.

However, following his guilty pleas, Richards publicly claimed he had communicated with child abusing “terrorists” to help law enforcement officials catch them.

He also claimed the money he spent had purchased “17 houses” for “orphans” to live in, saving them from exploitation, and insisted he was proud of what he had done.

Richards was subsequently rearrested, and remanded in custody, for breaching his bail by going back onto the internet while banned from doing so.

Richards’ home was raided by police. Picture: AFP

Police remove evidence from Anthony William Richards’ home. Picture: AFP

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors filed an ex-officio information with the court, charging Richards with five further offences.

They include multiple counts of disseminating indecent and child abuse material via the internet, as well as two counts of inciting persons overseas to commit child sex crimes.

Richards’ lawyer, Scott Roche, then asked for leave for withdraw from the file saying his instructions “had been terminated”.

He was replaced by Tim McGrath, who asked submissions be postponed so he could come to grips with the “significant amount of material” in the case.

“I’ve had brief discussions with my client … he has put to me a narrative that does not seem entirely consistent with the pleas to date,” he said.

Judge Ian Press said it was appropriate to give Mr McGrath further time, and remanded Richards in custody to face court again in January.