Radio host Ray Hadley addresses former colleague Brett Finch’s child abuse material scandal

Broadcaster Ray Hadley has broken his silence on an ex-NRL star’s child sex abuse material scandal and shed light on what he was like to work with.

Ray Hadley has spoken out about about his former colleague Brett Finch’s child abuse material scandal in a candid radio segment.

The broadcaster made the statement on his 2GB program on Tuesday morning after Finch pleaded guilty to using a sex hotline to share child abuse material.

The ex-NRL player is fighting to avoid being sent to jail and will next month learn his fate.

Finch told a sentence hearing in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Monday he shared the messages to obtain cocaine.

Hadley said the former NSW State of Origin player was “well known to him” throughout his rugby league career due to commentating duties.

2GB radio host Ray Hadley spoke out on Brett Finch’s scandal.

Finch worked for both 2GB and Channel 9 after retiring from NRL in 2013, before departing the latter at the end of 2016, citing mental health issues.

“When he started work for me, good young bloke, a bit of a scallywag, he became unfortunately most unreliable and basically told me a plethora of lies week after week,” he said.

“At the time I had no idea he was using drugs, you hear all sorts of things but I thought he was struggling with his mental health.”

Hadley went on to say he reached out to his employees in a bid to find out what was going on shortly before Finch stopped showing up for work due to “excuses”.

“I didn’t really have to sack Brett Finch, he sacked himself. He just stopped turning up and I confirmed with management his services were no longer required,” Hadley said.

“The shame he’s brought on himself, but more importantly on his parents and his family is almost unforgiveable...everyone, including his close mates bailed when the child abuse matter was raised.

Brett Finch pleaded guilty to using a sex hotline to share child abuse material. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“I’ll leave it to someone in a more capable judiciary to determine his fate.”

Finch, 40, was last year arrested when strike force detectives raided his Sans Souci home over his alleged involvement in an adult telephone service that was being used to transmit child abuse material.

Police seized his mobile phone for forensic examination and he was charged with five counts of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material.

Police earlier this year laid two fresh counts of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material.

Finch had a further six charges of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material withdrawn.

He was arrested on December 14 last year and has been on bail since.

NSW Police’s child exploitation internet unit launched Strike Force Hank last year to investigate an adult telephone service that was allegedly used by men to disseminate and discuss child abuse material.

Police arrested seven other men – aged between 34 and 71 – in raids across Sydney, Coffs Harbour and Shoal Bay last year.

Originally published as Radio host Ray Hadley addresses former colleague Brett Finch’s child abuse material scandal