Car salesman guilty of child exploitation material texts after judge calls case 'perplexing'
A judge has questioned the ‘deeply concerning’ case of a Queensland man who made child exploitation material, despite having reported a pedophile to police months earlier. Warning: Disturbing content
A Mackay car salesman has been found guilty of making child exploitation material after police found a video showing messages he sent to a man discussing child fantasies.
In December 2023, Corey Steven Bale, 35, sent Snapchat messages to a man he had met previously on Grinder.
Unbeknown to Bale, this man was video recording the conversation between the two men.
Bale’s offending was only detected once police investigated and performed a search of this other man’s property in relation to other offences, discovering the video on this other man’s phone leading police to investigate Bale.
Mackay District Court heard that as part of the videoed conversation with this other man, Bale wrote a message saying “Imagine my c--k down your throat while I’m sucking him, or any other combination that works”.
The other man in the conversation replied writing, “F--k yeah”.
Bale responded by writing, “So turned on right now”.
The other man asked, “Are you hard?”.
Bale sent a photo of his crotch area to the other man, writing, “Yes, are you?”.
Bale then proceeded to message the other man, “Have you got a pic of his?”.
Bale messaged, “It’s really hot thinking that when he’s old enough to finally c--, you’ll get his very first load”.
This conversation was in reference to the other man’s toddler son, with the court hearing that Bale had told police the other man had talked previously about incest and sexual fantasies involving his infant son and daughter, with Bale admitting to asking the other man if he had considered if other people could also touch his infant son.
Defence Barrister Scott McLennan told the court that Bale believed the messages sent via Snapchat would be deleted almost instantaneously given the nature of the social platform.
Justice Philip McCarthy KC said he was perplexed by Bale’s “bizarre” case.
“Your case, I must say, is perplexing and bizarre, and deeply concerning,” Justice McCarthy KC said.
“You have no relevant criminal history.
“Since the time of your arrest on October 31, 2024, and indeed from the time of the commission of your offence in December 2023, you have not come to the attention of the authorities in committing any criminal offence, and most importantly, any offence in relation to children.
“That perplexion is enhanced by the revelation that you on March 31, 2023, months proceeding this offence, made a call to Crimestoppers to report the activity of a pedophile within the community.
“You had made contact with an individual and arrived at his home [where] he had commenced showing you child exploitation material. You promptly left that home and it resulted in you reporting that individual to the authorities.
“[And] when the police attended upon your home in relation to this matter, quite naturally, they interrogated every device that you had possession of.
“That thorough interrogation did not reveal any evidence that you have and do show sexual interest in children.
“You knew this individual was expressing to you a demonstrated interest in abusing his children, and you’re aware his representations that the children were infant children.
“The conversation that you engaged in with this man was appalling, depraved and clearly had the potential to result in harm to vulnerable persons within our community.
“I accept your submission that that was not prominent in your mind at the time that you conducted yourself.
“What was prominent in your mind was the position of arousal this other man had been in, and that he had expressed his interest in abusing children to you resulted in you using that content for the purpose of arousing him.
“You had no intention of retaining that material for yourself, for your own sexual purposes.
“You have expressed remorse for your offending. It can indicate to me that you are truly sorry for the offence that you committed.”
Bale was sentenced to three years probation, with no conviction recorded.
