Ipswich man Daimon Warren pleads guilty to grooming teen girl

An Ipswich man charged with grooming a teenage girl and exposing her to indecent pictures and a video called his victim his “baby wife”, a court has heard.

Weeks’ worth of “sexually graphic” messages between a man and a teenager he called his “baby wife” have revealed the scale of his manipulation, a court has heard.

Daimon Stanley Warren, 22, of Redbank Plains, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on Tuesday (August 30) to seven charges: one of grooming a child under the age of 16; and six of indecently treating a child under the age of 16.

Crown prosecutor Michelle Parfitt said Warren and the girl met online and were communicating daily.

She said Warren regularly told his victim he loved her, referring to her in messages as his “baby wife”.

A number of indecent photos and images – of each other and of cartoon figures – were exchanged between the pair, as well as “graphic” messages about engaging in sexual activities together.

On one occasion, Ms Parfitt said Warren procured the girl to send him indecent material after they had a disagreement and she swore to “make it up to him”.

The court heard Warren was arrested in September last year.

He told authorities he originally thought she was 18 years old, but later discovered she was younger.

He admitted to, and accepted committing, some of the offences.

Ms Parfitt said while the offending was carried out only over a six-week period, it was “persistent” and the language used in conversations was “sexually graphic” and “put pressure” on the girl to behave a certain way.

She acknowledged Warren had entered early pleas of guilty and co-operated with police.

He also had spent about 11 months in custody while awaiting sentence.

Defence barrister Scott Neaves asked Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren, SC, to consider his client’s mental health conditions, which potentially included schizophrenia, when deciding a penalty.

Mr Horneman-Wren said he took into account the fact there was “not as significant” an age difference between Warren and his victim as in other similar cases.

He took into account the “highly sexualised” nature of the communications and that there was an “element” of Warren breaching the girl’s trust.

He also noted the remorse Warren demonstrated by pleading guilty.

Mr Horneman-Wren sentenced Warren to a total of 18 months’ jail, to be suspended after serving 334 days, for an operational period of two years.

He declared the 334 days he spent in pre-sentence custody time already served under the sentence.

Warren agreed to complete 12 months’ probation.