Discord child sex predator and CFS volunteer Matthew Richard Gardiner pleads guilty to 55 charges, earns penalty discount

A CFS volunteer and “impulsive, almost uncontrollable” child sex predator has pleaded guilty to 55 charges.

A CFS volunteer accused of being an “impulsive, almost uncontrollable” sex predator has confessed early – and now stands to have up to 25 per cent shaved off his punishment.

Matthew Richard Gardiner appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court, by video link, late on Wednesday – a month ahead of his next scheduled court date.

He listened quietly as his lawyer, Vivian Ngo, said Gardiner was prepared to plead guilty to 55 of the 70 charges laid against him, provided the rest were withdrawn.

Ms Ngo said Gardiner would have done so sooner, in order to guarantee his legislated sentencing discount, if not for issues with the court’s availability.

“I’d like it noted that we did ask for the matter to be listed on April 18, which would bring it into the legislative requirements (for a discount of up to 25 per cent),” she said.

“However, we were told that today was the earliest date available.”

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

He had spent the previous 12 months grooming a 15-year-old girl for sex, via the popular Discord app, under the name “OzDude”.

Gardiner pursued his victims via the Discord social media platform.

That girl eventually called the Kids Helpline to report the abuse, prompting JACET’s investigation and Gardiner’s arrest.

While searching his phone, detectives discovered Gardiner had also been talking to 206 other people, of various ages, “for sexual purposes” under the same username.

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

By that time, prosecutors had filed a total of 70 charges and dubbed Gardiner an “impulsive, almost uncontrollable” predator posing “an extreme risk to the community”.

In court on Wednesday, Gardiner pleaded guilty through his counsel to 50 charges including procuring a child for sexual activity and communicating to make a child amenable to sex.

He also pleaded guilty to knowingly being in possession of child abuse material – Gardiner now faces a maximum 12-year prison term for his offending.

The state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, agreed to note Gardiner’s eagerness to plead and remanded him in custody to face the District Court in June.

“(The issue of the discount) will be raised in that court,” she said.

Under SA law, a person who enters an early guilty plea can receive up to 25 per cent off their eventual prison term.

Originally, the laws permitted judges to impose a discount of up to 40 per cent, but that was slashed in 2020 following campaigning by The Advertiser.