Former soldier Luke Michael Pickering blames Australian Army for his child abuse crimes, saying it ‘desensitised’ him to foul images

This former soldier was caught with 900 perverse images of children and babies – but he says the fault for his crimes lies with the Australian Army.

A former soldier has blamed the Australian Army for his “descent” into child abuse, saying his training “desensitised” him to disgusting images and left him “a broken man”.

On Tuesday, Luke Michael Pickering asked the District Court to fully suspend his inevitable jail term for hoarding and transmitting more than 900 photos and videos of child abuse.

Marie Shaw QC, for Pickering, said her client’s criminality was caused by post-traumatic stress, depression, isolation and alcohol abuse – all of which were the Army’s fault.

Luke Michael Pickering outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

“Servicemen are desensitised, as part of their training to serve in Afghanistan, to horrific and disgusting images so they can be aware of what they face,” she said.

“My client was shown IS videos of dynamite being put around the necks of victims and blowing up, and of the drowning of victims who had been caged.

“The horrors he was exposed to left him a broken man … he served his country but there was no counselling, there was no support, after his honourable discharge.

“He was living in his own shame with no prospect of leaving his palace of despair … his descent into a pit of hopelessness continued on a downward trajectory to his offending.”

Pickering, 31, of Ingle Farm, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of accessing, possessing and transmitting child abuse material via the internet.

He was arrested by the elite Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) last year

alongside 10 other men as a result of a two-year Australian Federal Police operation.

Pickering admitted accessing, possessing and transmitting child exploitation material. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

On Tuesday, Ms Shaw said Pickering’s poor mental state had been exacerbated by the deaths of fellow soldiers both on the battlefield and after their return to Australia.

She said her client had ceased offending months prior to his arrest and, when questioned, told JACET he had physically broken his phone because “I’m disgusted with myself”.

“What he has done is all he can do – he’s acknowledged he’s disgusted with himself and he’s pleaded guilty, which confirms his contrition and remorse,” she said.

Ahura Kalali, prosecuting, said Pickering’s personal issues explained but could never excuse his “particularly depraved” offending.

“This was a large number of images against a background of having viewed exploitation material since 2014 … he was interested in baby girls and young children,” he said.

Judge Rauf Soulio remanded Pickering on continuing bail for sentencing next month.