Roderick Saliba, 33, jailed for possessing, soliciting child abuse material

A Colac pedophile who manipulated and threatened a 14-year-old victim and used child abuse material as a “money-making venture” has been jailed.

A Colac pedophile has been jailed.

A Colac pedophile who manipulated and threatened a 14-year-old victim and used child abuse material as a “money-making venture” has been jailed.

An e-hearing of the County Court on Wednesday heard Roderick Saliba, 33, pleaded guilty to five charges, including three relating to the possession or solicitation of child abuse material, one charge of using a carrier service to transmit indecent comments to a child under the age of 16 and obtaining property by deception.

Judge Gavan Meredith told the court he had only “cautious optimism” of Saliba’s rehabilitation prospects, and said Saliba’s insight into the harmfulness of his offending appeared to be “somewhat limited”.

Despite knowing his actions were wrong, Mr Meredith told the court in his sentencing remarks that Saliba’s “impaired empathy, desensitisation and anti-social views” led to him possessing child abuse material and sexualised online interactions with a 14-year-old girl.

Further, the court heard that two months after he had been interviewed by police, Saliba contacted his 14-year-old victim.

“You manipulated and threatened your young victim, with a view to secure your images and videos,” Mr Meredith said.

Mr Meredith said the “significant number” of materials Saliba possessed were of a “depraved and degrading” nature.

“You were involved in the distribution of this material, using it as a money-making venture,” he told Saliba.

The court was also told that in January of this year, Saliba transferred more than $20,000 from his mother’s bank account to his own, effectively clearing out her savings and “dashing her hopes of home repairs” Mr Meredith said, adding it was “reprehensible act”.

In sentencing Saliba, Mr Meredith said he took into account a psychologist’s report which diagnosed the 33-year-old with a “moderate personality disorder” characterised by “negativity, detachment, disinhibition and dissociality”.

“Mr Saliba’s problems with interpersonal functioning and self-direction... contribute to a greater vulnerability towards dysfunctional attempts at self-soothing and emotional avoidance,” Mr Meredith said.

“These dysfunctional behaviours include drug use and sexual activities.”

Mr Meredith told the court Saliba had a “longstanding and entrenched history of substance abuse” which contributed to his offending, and that Saliba’s “drug-affected and sleep-deprived state” created a further lack of inhibitions, but also noted the persistent nature and “objective gravity” of Saliba’s offending.

Saliba was jailed for four years and six months, with a non-parole period of three years.

Mr Meredith told Saliba that if he hadn’t pleaded guilty, he could have been in prison for the next six years.

Saliba will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

Originally published as Roderick Saliba, 33, jailed for possessing, soliciting child abuse material