Michael Gary Mallick, 35, filmed himself masturbating to child exploitation material

A Central Queensland tradie has been busted with almost 3000 child exploitation files. Find out what happened in court.

A Central Queensland man busted possessing child exploitation material on three devices filmed himself masturbating to the disturbing material.

Michael Gary Mallick, 35, pleaded guilty on August 3 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of possessing child exploitation material, one of possess a dangerous drug and one of possessing a drug utensil.

Crown prosecutor Maryam Yousufzai said police searched Mallick’s Zilzie residence on August 1, 2021, and Mallick told police they might find “stuff” on his phone and admitted to receiving CEM online via Facebook and emails.

Police found a second phone and a USB memory stick which also contained CEM.

Ms Yousufzai said Mallick told police the second phone was not in use and he intended on giving it to his 15 year old daughter who lives in another state, and he told them the USB stick belonged to a friend.

Police also located 1.8 grams of marijuana and a coffee grinder which had marijuana residue.

Ms Yousufzai said there were 1660 CEM photographs in one of the INTERPOL Classification System categories and 1181 photographs and videos in another category.

She said many of the videos depicted children aged seven to 13 years, 80 involving adult penetration of a child, and videos of children aged three to five with their genitals exposed.

“One of those videos of significance was a selfie style video where Mallick had videoed himself masturbating to child exploitation material,” Ms Yousufzai said.

She said there quite serious examples of photographical CEM among the material.

Defence lawyer Sheridan Shaw said her client was a roofer, which was how he came to move to Rockhampton after living mostly in Lismore.

“He describes this offending as being the lowest point in his life and he expressed to me that he was quite remorseful,” she said.

“He has had a problem with using dangerous drugs throughout his life.

“That’s reflected on his criminal histories (in Victoria and New South Wales).

“He instructs … he has been clean for the first time in quite a while (since being in prison).”

Ms Shaw said Mallick was diagnosed with Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when he was in primary school and he left school when he was 14.

She said he hoped to return to Victoria where his family resided, after he had been released from prison.

Judge Jeff Clarke, who described the material found on Mallick’s devices as “disgusting” said the selfie video revealed Mallick’s “perverse sexual interest” in child exploitation material.

He sentenced Mallick to 21 months prison, suspended after Mallick had served 367 days, declared 367 days presentence custody as time served and set an operational period of three years.

Mallick was also ordered to pay $800 in fines.