Paedophile Mitchell Brown targets children as young as 7 online, ‘pestering’ for nudes

A Central Queensland registered sex offender, whose mother is on bail for a murder charge, contacted at least 10 children as young as seven on popular apps including Snapchat and Instagram to hassle them for explicit photos. Now he is eligible for release.

Mitchell Tristan Trent Brown, a registered child sex offender, used a family member’s phone to create Snapchat, Instagram and Gmail accounts he used to contact at least 10 children aged seven to 15, asking them for naked pictures of themselves, and swapped child exploitation material with others.

A registered sex offender who contacted children as young as seven online to “pester” them for nude photos is eligible for release despite being deemed a moderate-to-high risk of reoffending.

Mitchell Tristan Trent Brown used a family member’s phone to create Snapchat, Instagram and Gmail accounts he used to contact at least 10 children aged seven to 15, asking them for naked pictures of themselves, and swapped child exploitation material with other offenders.

Brown, who is a reportable convicted sex offender who a psychiatrist says meets the criteria for pedophilic disorder, failed to report to authorities that he had access to a mobile phone and that he used it to create accounts on the social media apps.

The 22-year-old, whose mother the court was told is on bail for a murder charge, also failed to report he had contact with children.

Brown pleaded guilty in Emerald District Court on December 8, 2022, to 17 offences including distributing and possessing child exploitation material, indecent treatment of a child, using a carriage service to harass or menace, and using the internet to procure a child.

His sentence was finalised on February 10 after being part heard on January 30.

Crown prosecutor Maryam Yousufzai said Brown tried to send an 11-year-old girl a photograph of his genitalia.

She said Brown, pretending to be a 12-year-old, asked his youngest victim about her sex life with her ex-boyfriend and asked for photographs.

Ms Yousufzai said he sent messages to another account asking, “Do you like little kids nudes? Do you have any little kids nudes?”

Judge Jeff Clarke said Brown “pestered” children online for “nudes”, and was dealt with for offences that led to him becoming a registered sex offender just three months prior to the latest offences.

He said the original offences included grooming a child.

Judge Clarke said Brown reoffended while on a lengthy probation order and had just been released from serving three months in jail.

He said a psychologist’s report provided to the court stated Brown, who became interested pornography at a very young age, met the diagnostic criteria for paedophilia and required extensive treatment.

Judge Clarke said he was deemed a moderate-to-high risk of reoffending.

Brown was sentenced to three years’ jail with immediate parole eligibility. A total of 368 days presentence custody was declared as time served.

Judge Clarke also ordered Brown to a further two years of probation.