Cairns court: Cape York man Karl Frethoff Egeberg pleads guilty to indecent treatment of a child

A Far North man who exposed five children under the age of 16 to pornographic content when they would visit for noodles and bike parts in a remote community has been sentenced.

A MAN who indecently exposed five children under the age of 16 to pornographic images and videos in his shed after they visited him for noodles and bike parts has been sentenced.

Karl Frethoff Egeberg, 61, from the Cape York community of Umagico, pleaded guilty at Cairns District Court on Thursday to three counts of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16 and three counts of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 12.

Prosecutor Matt Hancock said the children would go to Egeberg’s house for packets of noodles and bike parts.

“Certainly the submission views the relationship he had with those children where they would go to receive those thing and he would expose them to such images,” he said.

A man who indecently exposed five children to images and videos has been sentenced.

“There was some impact on some of the complainants resulting in them feeling funny on the inside or running away.”

Mr Hancock said a main feature was the difference in ages between the defendant and the complainant as three were under the age of 12 and the oldest was between the ages of 13 and 14.

“In my submission, your honour, the aggravating features are the number of complainants, there are five, it was repeated in nature and it was conducted in an isolated and remote part in the community up in Umageco.”

Defence barrister for Egeberg, Joseph Jacobs, said there was no suggestion of luring any of the complainants who came to get either of the two items. He described one instance.

“The defendant opened the door to the child who entered the shed, he then saw these images on the walls,” he said.

“He instructs he was not aware what he was doing was against the law.”

Mr Jacobs said Egeberg was a widower after three years of marriage and had two children who he was estranged from.

Cairns Courthouse. Picture: Brendan Radke.

“He has been more or less in employment ever since he left school.

“He instructs he is in good health.”

Judge Dean Morzone said the concerning nature was the ages of the children.

“What you allowed to happen was very serious indeed,” he said.

“You live and work in a small community. I do accept there was no deliberate manipulation to lure them into your place but rather they came upon the images indecently to come to you for food.

“But you permitted them into that place such they were exposed to the material. That inevitably does impact upon them.”

Judge Morzone said Egeberg had great skills the community needed.

“You are well educated and skilled and you continue to work in communities where these skills are important,” he said.

But despite the contribution to the community he said it was important to send a message to others it was illegal.

“I have to punish you to a just extent in all circumstances, to provide you of ways to rehabilitate to understand better how to avoid these circumstances and not reoffend,” he said.

Egeberg was sentenced to seven months imprisonment immediately suspended for a period of 12 months with Judge Morzone declaring 113 days as timed served.

Originally published as Cairns court: Cape York man Karl Frethoff Egeberg pleads guilty to indecent treatment of a child