Relief teacher Dylan McCrossin ‘monumentally stuffed up his life’ by accessing child exploitation material, court hears

A relief teacher who worked at seven schools across Adelaide made a “monumental stuff-up” by accessing child abuse material, a court hears.

Relief teacher Dylan McCrossin, who has admitted to possessing child exploitation images and videos, outside the District Court on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

A relief teacher who worked in multiple Adelaide schools “monumentally” stuffed up his life when he accessed child exploitation material, a court has heard.

Dylan McCrossin appeared before the District Court on Wednesday for a pre-sentence hearing after previously pleading guilty to one count of aggravated possession of child exploitation material and two counts of possessing child exploitation material.

Police found more than 40 videos and images across the 39-year-old’s desktop and laptop computers.

Dylan McCrossin outside the District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Craig Caldicott, for McCrossin, told the court his client had socially isolated himself from his friends and family in the wake of his offending, for which he was extremely remorseful.

“He’s basically, monumentally, to use the vernacular, stuffed up his life,” he said.

“He has managed to lose his employment and any future employment … he is forbidden to be a teacher.”

He said McCrossin, of Norwood, had not been completely honest with police initially because his “life flashed before his eyes”, but later confessed to his crimes.

The court heard McCrossin felt ashamed and had penned a letter of apology to the court.

“He acknowledges the full force of what he has done,” Mr Caldicott said.

He asked the court suspend any prison term to be imposed on McCrossin, who he said was unlikely to reoffend, or alternatively allow him to serve a sentence on home detention.

But the court heard McCrossin was sleeping on his mother’s couch in a one-bedroom unit that authorities would not deem suitable for home detention.

“He doesn’t expect leniency from the court but I’m asking Your Honour to see a way clear to suspend a term of imprisonment,” Mr Caldicott said.

Prosecutor Amy Fisher told the court the crime was not victimless and asked McCrossin serve an immediate jail term.

“The court must impose a sentence with a significant deterrence aspect … possession of child exploitation material is not a victimless crime,” she said.

McCrossin was arrested by the SA Joint Anti Exploitation Team in July last year, prompting the Department of Education to notify parents at seven schools.

McCrossin was one of the last offenders in SA to earn a sentencing discount of up to 40 per cent, entering his guilty pleas before legislation slashing those discounts was passed.

Judge Ian Press will sentence McCrossin in April.