Photographer Bradley Garrett pleads guilty to possessing child abuse images

A ‘fetish’ photographer previously convicted of rape has now been busted with child abuse material on his hard drive. Find out where he has moved to now.

A freelance “fetish” photographer who is a convicted rapist will not have to spend any time behind bars after he was caught with child abuse material.

Judge Julie Dick determined there were exceptional circumstances and released the 56 year old, who had moved from Mackay to Tasmania, on a wholly suspended sentence.

Police searched Bradley Garrett’s Mackay home on May 9, 2020 where they found a limited number of child exploitation material images on one of his hard drives as well as a variety of photography equipment.

Mackay District Court heard he was a freelance photographer who conducted shoots from his home. Garrett described it as more of a hobby and he offered his services for free.

The court heard much of his work involved “fetish photography including shibari”, which is Japanese rope bondage. He told police his models were all over 18 or if they were younger he had their parents present.

Judge Dick said the child exploitation material was at the lower end for this type of offending. He told police “he knew what he’d done was wrong” – he did not want to detail it “but it had been dragging on for some time”.

The court heard Garrett told police he had changed his actions “and he didn’t know why he did it”.

Fetish photographer and convicted rapist Bradley Garrett pleaded guilty in Mackay District Court to possessing child exploitation material.

Garrett pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material, an offence which carries a sentence involving actual time in custody unless a judge determined there were exceptional circumstances.

The court heard his criminal history including offending against a 16-year-old girl who was asleep in her bed in the 1980s and in 1998 he broke into a woman’s home and raped her.

The Crown argued he continued “to represent a danger to women, including young women” and that child exploitation material was not a victimless crime.

Representing himself, Garrett told the court he faced serious health issues.

He said 2019 and 2020 were “horrendous years for me both physically and mentally”.

Garrett said he had received surgery to remove a brain tumour.

“That led to my body just being ravaged by arthritis and also rapid onset of ageing,” he said.

The court heard he was also on medication for heart conditions as well as anti-depressants, anti-psychotics and was receiving mental health help.

“I live in Tasmania, we’ve moved to the wilderness of Tasmania. I’ve removed myself as far as I can from society,” he said. He was working as his partner’s carer in Queenstown and had flown to Mackay for the sentence.

“I think there are circumstances where this is a matter where there are exceptional circumstances that mean I am not required to order that Mr Garrett undergo a term of actual imprisonment,” Judge Dick said.

She added that due to his physical health it would be “highly unlikely that he would be any immediate danger to anyone”.

Garrett was jailed for 12 months, wholly suspended for 18 months. A conviction was recorded.