Geoffrey Michael Mew pleads guilty to exploitation material, sex doll-making charges, blames methylamphetamine use

This man’s disgusting crimes, involving downloading and a doll, have a common “genesis”, a judge says – one that plagues 1 per cent of the SA population.

A bankrupt fugitive’s perverse crimes involving exploitation material and a child-sized doll have their “criminogenic genesis” in methylamphetamine use, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, counsel for Geoffrey William Mew asked the District Court to show their client as much leniency as possible for the crimes he committed over a six-year period.

They argued that, in addition to his drug addiction, Mew’s offending was rooted in childhood trauma – and that his crimes provided “temporary relief” from post-traumatic stress.

Mew, 43, pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to access child exploitation material, and to possessing or controlling such material on a computer or data storage device.

He also pleaded guilty to producing, or taking steps to produce, a childlike sex doll and importing prohibited Tier 2 goods – namely the pieces needed to make it.

Mew was arrested in his Elizabeth Downs home in August 2023, having spent more than 10 years as a fugitive on bankruptcy charges.

Geoffrey Michael Mew. Picture: Facebook

At the time, SA Police alleged Mew had not only made the dolls – measuring 115cm tall – at his home, but also filmed himself using them.

In court on Tuesday, Judge Allen noted a psychological report filed by Mew’s counsel.

“(It suggests) there’s a common criminogenic genesis for all of this offending, that his use of drugs essentially formed part of the exploitation material and doll offending,” he said.

“That seems to leap out of all the psychological reports, that he’s using meth while accessing the material which then feeds into the doll issue.”

Prosecutors urged Judge Allen not to extend mercy on those grounds, saying Mew was “not under methylamphetamine psychosis” at the time of his offending.

Mew’s counsel, however, argued their client’s addiction explained – but could not excuse – his offending, which provided “temporary relief” from his “post-traumatic stress”.

Judge Allen said he would have to balance that submission against the facts of the case.

“What (the prosecution) sent through, in terms of the factual basis and the detail of the doll, is pretty confronting to say the least … deeply disturbing,” he said.

He remanded Mew in custody for sentencing until August.

In August last year, the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction said 1 per cent of the state’s population had used meth in the prior 12 months.