Mackay man Sean Lachlan Martin pleads guilty to child sexual and exploitation offences

A serial sexual predator who openly admits he is aroused by young children, tried to groom them online and watches the worst kind of child abuse content every day has been labelled a “low risk” offender. TRIGGER WARNING

Sean Lachlan Martin tries to hide behind his lawyer as he walks into Mackay courthouse to face charges including using electronic communication to procure a child under 16, distributing child abuse material using a hidden network, indecent treatment of a child, and making and possessing child abuse material.

A psychologist has labelled a Queensland child groomer as “low risk” despite the man admitting children sexually aroused him and that he regularly masturbated to the worst category of child abuse images, prompting a judge to call out the report.

The camera shy “predator” made every effort to avoid having his photo taken as he was in and out of court for the terrible offending that involved sexual conversations with four children aged 11 to 15, trading child exploitation images and videos with multiple “like minded” others and possession of a child abuse material that included videos of toddlers and babies being raped.

Sean Lachlan Martin told police he masturbated to the abhorrent child abuse material daily, that he was attracted to girls as young as 10 and gained “sexual gratification” from the secrecy involved.

He had felt like this for the past 10 years and in more recent years “it had got progressively worse”.

Mackay District Court heard he even admitted to a psychologist he “finds children sexually arousing”.

Sean Lachlan Martin pleaded guilty to a 14-count indictment that including charges for using electronic communication to procure a child under 16, distributing child abuse material using a hidden network, indecent treatment of a child, and making and possessing child abuse material.

That psychologist’s assessment found Martin’s offending “occurred against a backdrop of alcohol abuse, chronic anxiety and depression, and that he “falls into the low-risk category”.

But Judge Gregory Lynham heavily questioned the report on the back of the evidence, stating it “defies logic”.

‘TELEGRAM, SNAPCHAT’: HOW COPS TRACKED DOWN PREDATOR

Martin’s vile offending came to light after the mother of his 12-year-old victim, who lived interstate, came across their chats and phoned the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, sparking an AFP investigation that culminated with his arrest in Mackay in August 2023.

The court heard the messages between Martin and the 12 year old were so sexually explicit the Quora account he used was suspended.

Judge Lynham said it was incomprehensible any girl of that age would engage in graphically sexualised conversations and send photos of her genitalia to a stranger, demonstrating “the extent with which (Martin) had ingratiated himself to her”, who believed he was her boyfriend.

Sean Lachlan Martin pleaded guilty to a 14-count indictment that including charges for using electronic communication to procure a child under 16, distributing child abuse material using a hidden network, indecent treatment of a child, and making and possessing child abuse material.

“It is that manipulation which makes the offending particularly serious in that he has procured her to commit sexualised acts upon herself … continued that conduct despite intervention of others … and then distributed that content to other like-minded individuals,” Crown Prosecutor Monique Sheppard said.

Martin sent child exploitation material including photos of the girl to five others.

Following his arrest, he made admissions to police revealing the “true extent of his depravity”, Ms Sheppard said.

Martin used Telegram, Quora, Google and Snapchat to engage in speaking with children.

He had also been engaging in similar sexualised conversations with two 15-year-old girls and an 11-year-old – however it was accepted the 11-year-old and one 15-year-old could not be identified, but that Martin had believed them to be those ages.

Then aged 44, Martin was also caught with child exploitation material including 1060 images and 60 videos, many of which were “particularly graphic involving toddlers or infant children engaged in penetrative acts” with adults.

Now 46, he pleaded guilty to a 14-count indictment that including charges for using electronic communication to procure a child under 16, distributing child abuse material using a hidden network, indecent treatment of a child, and making and possessing child abuse material.

‘LONELINESS, ALCOHOL’ BLAMED FOR HEINOUS ACTS

The court heard he had already spent about 14 months in presentenced custody but had been granted bail October 2024 – Ms Sheppard said the only appropriate penalty including returning Martin to jail.

But barrister Scott Moon pushed for a non-custodial sentence, leaning on his client’s lack of criminal history, his alcohol misuse and a psychologist’s report that stated, “the offending he engaged in seems out of character, and it is more likely associated with low mood and boredom of his lonely lifestyle at the time”.

Mr Moon said the report further stated Martin was “depressed and self-destructive when he engaged in the offending behaviour”.
“He was living at a hotel in Mackay and had a ready supply of alcohol,” Mr Moon said, adding, “the assessment has identified a low risk of reoffending”.

Judge Lynham said he had difficulties relying on the report because Martin’s offending involved “sexualised conversations of the most appalling type” with four underage girls and included that “corruption of a young girl, while being in a chatroom exchanging images with like-minded others and in possession of child abuse images that included an adult male raping children as young as two.

“They seem to be telltale signs that (Martin) … has pedophilic tendencies but I’m told by the psychologist that he’s a low risk of reoffending,” Judge Lynham said.

“They’re all powerful indications this isn’t simply offending that might be excused away because (he’s) an alcoholic.

“It I was presented with a report that opined (he) was a pedophile I would not be surprised about that.”

As Martin’s offending only stopped when he was arrested, Judge Lynham called it “persistent” and over a “not insignificant period of time”.

“Yet I’m told by the psychologist that he’s up the end of the low range of the risk of reoffending, that seems to defy logic I must say,” Judge Lynham said.

Ultimately, Judge Lynham placed little weight on the report, instead finding that Martin’s offending was “calculated and involved you sexually manipulating young children”.

“You knew precisely what you were doing given the manipulative and cunning way you went about your communications,” Judge Lynham said, adding Martin also had the ability to source out and maintain contact with “what appeared to be other pedophiles”.

The court also heard Martin was found with “some of the most abhorrent child sexual abuse images that anyone could be in possession of”.

He was sentenced to five years’ jail with parole eligibility in August 2025 after serving one third.

His presentence custody was declared as time already served.