Darcie James Ranger and Jessica Marie Glaser of Mount Gambier to be sentenced for child abuse material collection
A young couple lost “any sense of moral compass” and descended into a life of meth and collecting horrific child abuse images, a court has heard.
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A young couple lost “any sense of moral compass” and descended into a life of child exploitation material and methamphetamine use, a court has heard.
Darcie James Ranger, 26, and his partner Jessica Marie Glaser, 20, were caught by the Australian Federal Police with thousands of images of child exploitation material.
They were both charged with Commonwealth child exploitation material offences while Ranger had an additional charge added.
Both pleaded guilty in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court.
During sentencing submissions in the District Court on Wednesday, Judge Ian Press heard that the couple had shown a “prolific” interest in the material.
But despite the prospect of prison hanging over their heads and a possible future on the sex offenders register, the couple remain together.
Glaser was caught with 10,510 images on her computer, the majority of which were lower categories of seriousness.
However, a Commonwealth prosecutor told the court that 19 per cent of the images and videos, or almost 2000 items of child abuse were some of the most serious.
Ranger was caught with 1463 images but the court heard he had introduced Glaser to the material.
The prosecutor said the material played a part of a complicated relationship of two people who had difficult upbringings.
“It is far more complex than arousal by these materials,” she said.
Carrie Demertzis, for Glaser, urged the court to consider any sentence that would not see her young client spending a long sentence behind bars.
“She understands there is the very real prospect that she may serve time in prison,” Ms Demertzis said. “She understands it is extremely serious offending.”
The court heard the couple had been ostracised from the Mount Gambier community when news of their offending and guilty pleas came to light. Nick Healy, for Ranger, said his client was no longer using methamphetamine to lower his inhibitions.
“The depraved behaviour became the norm,” he said.
“The relationship between the pair is ongoing, they have been together since their arrest, there is no indication of any further offending.”
Judge Press said while there was no indication of grooming or contact offending against children, there were signs in messages between the pair that went “beyond the hallmarks of pure fantasy”.
Without specifying the contents of the messages Mr Healy conceded there were “disturbing aspects” and they were “difficult to read”.
Judge Press said the couple’s personal circumstances and upbringing “excited sympathy” but the offending was serious.
“That they so quickly lost any sense of moral compass in terms of what is right and what is wrong is probably difficult for them to articulate,” Judge Press said.
“They lost all perspective to what was appropriate.”
The pair will be sentenced in December.
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