Man who accessed child porn images was once abuse victim

In public, he was an every day Queensland supermarket worker but at home he was hiding hundreds of sick secrets. That was until detectives came knocking.

Hervey Bay Magistrate Court has heard Thane Ian Grenenger was himself the victim of childhood abuse.

A Hervey Bay supermarket worker, who accessed hundreds of disturbing videos and photos showing the sexual abuse of children, did so for the ‘adrenaline rush’.

This is what Hervey Bay District Court heard when Thane Ian Grenenger, 31, pleaded guilty to accessing child abuse material.

The court heard police executed a search warrant in September last year.

A search of Grenenger’s computer revealed a collection of child abuse material including pre-pubescent children being penetrated by adults.

When asked about why he had downloaded the material, he had admitted to being aroused by it and said it was an “adrenaline rush,” the court was told.

A total of 348 videos and 910 images were found.

The court heard Grenenger was cooperative with police and had engaged in counselling.

He was said to have experienced abuse himself as a child, was supported in court by his family and described by a psychologist as being of ‘low risk’ of reoffending.

Judge David Reid told Grenenger “every image you saw involves a child who was abused, maybe in Australia, maybe overseas”.

Grenenger was sentenced to 15 months in jail, to be released after three months.