Leslie Bishop pretended he wasn’t a pedophile – then police saw his screen saver

A traffic controller caught with hundreds of images of child abuse material stuck to his “pathetic” story – until his screen saver brought his defence crashing down.

Leslie Bishop has been jailed for possessing child exploitation material following a federal investigation.

A traffic controller found with hundreds of images of child exploitation material was adamant he was not sexually attracted to children, until his tablet screen saver bought his argument undone – leading to a judge calling him “pathetic and disingenuous”.

Leslie Bishop, 44, was arrested in 2021 as part of an Australian Federal Police investigation which began with a tip from US authorities.

He was charged with possessing and accessing child exploitation material from a series of different websites.

The first report of Bishop’s online behaviour was made to the AFP in April 2021 after authorities identified child exploitation material being stored in a Google Photos account in his name.

Officers raided his Prospect home on August 17, 2021, and seized a mobile phone and tablet.

On the devices were several hundred images on the devices as well as in the online account.

On Wednesday, District Court Judge Paul Muscat said the majority of the images on Bishop’s mobile phone and tablet were of pubescent girls.

During the lengthy sentencing, he described in detail Bishop’s excuses for the offending.

Bishop claimed he had been using methamphetamine, cannabis and prescription medication as well as drinking heavily and could not explain how he got the material.

However, a prosecutor took Bishop to numerous searches he had made online, explicitly searching for child exploitation material.

Judge Muscat said the most damning evidence against Bishop’s claims was the screen saver on his tablet which showed an image of a naked young child in a sexual pose.

“The screen saver totally undermines your evidence and revealed that you are sexually attracted to young female children,” he said.

“Your story was nothing short of pathetic and disingenuous.”

He said Bishop had only admitted he had a sexual interest in female children a month ago, and sought professional help.

Judge Muscat dismissed Bishop’s claims that he had been so intoxicated he could not remember downloading the images.

“Your claims your were intoxicated by drugs and alcohol at the time sounded insincere, they were simply incredulous,” he said.

Bishop wept during the hearing as Judge Muscat described in detail the impact the offending had on his family, and would continue to have if he was jailed.

He also noted Bishop’s traumatic upbringing.

But he said the offending was serious and “perpetuated the market for this corrupt and deviant material” and Bishop should be punished to deter others.

He was jailed for two years and nine months with a non-parole period of 12 months.