Simeon Davis, 20, pleads guilty to child exploitation offences in Cairns District Court along with Edge Hill bookkeeper Matthew Stephen Warren
A young Cape Tribulation man who was sexually abused as a child was caught discussing horrific images of children with a since-convicted paedophile. Here’s why he thought he shouldn’t be jailed.
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A YOUNG Cape Tribulation man who was himself sexually abused as a child was caught by police discussing with a since-convicted paedophile his sexual desires for children depicted in child abuse material the two were sharing.
Simeon Thomas Deslie Davis, 20, pleaded guilty to seven counts involving possessing and distributing child exploitation material, using a carriage service to access child abuse material and using a hidden or anonymous network to distribute child exploitation material in Cairns District Court on Wednesday.
Defence barrister Rachelle Logan said Mr Davis started chatting online with an older man when he was aged about 15 or 16.
She said that man was Matthew Stephen Warren.
Formerly an Edge Hill bookkeeper Warren, 36, was sentenced in March this year to six years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of using a carriage service for child abuse material, one count of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under 16 years of age, and one count of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service.
The court heard that between May 23, 2020, and October 15, 2020, Warren and Davis exchanged thousands of messages on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, with both expressing an interest in very young infants and pre-pubescent children for the purpose of sexual gratification.
Warren sent almost 1000 images and videos to Davis, a large number of which depicted vile sexual assaults by adult men against pre-pubescent children and infants.
At one point, Davis expressed his desire to carry out sexual abuse on the children, the court heard.
He also sent two images of child abuse.
Crown prosecutor Tim Watkins told the court the material was “about as cruel and degrading as it gets, particularly those which involve young infants”.
Ms Logan tendered a pre-sentence report in which Davis expressed his remorse and shame and feelings of guilt and responsibility.
She said Warren was “significantly older” than Davis, and he exploited him.
The report also noted Davis’s depression, suicidal ideation, and trauma, along with symptoms and behaviour consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.
She submitted Judge Paul Smith would find “exceptional circumstances” had been established and Davis would not have to serve time in prison.
Judge Smith said it was a difficult matter, but bearing in mind the serious nature of the images, Davis had to go to jail.
He sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment, to be released after two months, with a combined probation and a recognisance order of two years.
Davis was also given a concurrent 18-month sentence, suspended after serving two months, with an operational period of two years.
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Originally published as Simeon Davis, 20, pleads guilty to child exploitation offences in Cairns District Court along with Edge Hill bookkeeper Matthew Stephen Warren
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