Pedophile avoids jail after pleading guilty to indecently filming ex-partner’s young daughter

A distraught mother has broken down in tears outside court after her predatory ex-partner was spared jail time for secretly filming her young daughter.

An outraged mother has pleaded for justice after her teenage daughter’s predator was spared jail time despite filming her naked.

The Christies Beach man, 38, cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim.

He appeared in the District Court on Friday in front of Judge Emily Telfer who suspended his six-month jail sentence for his guilty pleas to two counts of indecent filming.

The man cannot be named by law.

The victim’s mother told The Advertiser the man – who is her ex-partner – had become a father figure to her daughter before he filmed her while she was between the ages of 10-12.

“He should be going to jail,” the mother said outside court through tears. “I’m disgusted at the fact he gets to go home and live … he lives down the road from us.

“I don’t go to the shops by myself (and) I don’t leave the house by myself in fear of running into him and his family.

“Now he just gets to go home and live his life like normal, so what punishment is he really getting? It just sets a precedent for every other pedophile out there that if they screw up – as long as they don’t have prior history – they can do whatever they want to children.”

The man’s offending was detected as a result of an investigation into other allegations – namely Department for Child Protection notifications in 2020 following reports their children weren’t adequately hygienic or clean.

The mother, right, and her friend outside court.

Two mobile phones belonging to the man were forensically examined, revealing six videos showing the man “covertly” filming her young daughter in an indecent manner, a court heard.

“A video showing you setting up the mobile telephone camera inside a laundry basket to covertly film and filling the bathtub with water,” Judge Telfer said. “The victim is then shown bathing naked in the bathtub.

“Staff from the department attended your home to discuss their concerns. In a conversation, you offered to record the children bathing as proof that they were in fact washing on a regular basis – you were told on no uncertain terms by staff from the department that filming the children bathing would be classed as child pornography and the department could absolutely not condone you doing that in response to the concerns that had been raised.”

The mother speaks to The Advertiser outside court.

Judge Telfer acknowledged the prosecution’s acceptance the filming subject to count 1 may have resulted from a “misconceived idea” about securing evidence the children were being properly cared for.

She also noted by the time the material was detected, the man had deleted them from his phone – acknowledging there was no suggestion they had been distributed to anyone.

Outside court, a friend of the mother said the man was “dangerous”.

“There’s no justice for the victim, there really isn’t. Where’s the justice for her daughter? It’s not fair.

“He’s back out on dating sites claiming he’s a good family man – I’m the one that found them.

“Anybody, any female with young children … he is a pedophile – stay clear of him.”

Judge Telfer imposed a sentenced of six months and 12 days imprisonment – suspended upon entering into an 18-month good behaviour bond.