Michael James Gibbons approached teen girls at Airlie Beach after being caught with child exploitation material in Rockhampton

A married Central Queensland man, with an “addiction” to adult pornography “kept clicking” until he found child abuse material. Now, a court has heard how his sick interest played out on social media and in public.  

A judge has told a man who accessed child exploitation material, contacted an underage girl via social media and approached another in public that teen girls are not interested in him.

Michael James Gibbons, 25, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on August 18 to one count of using a carriage service to access child exploitation material (CEM), one of possessing CEM and six breaches of bail.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Barker said police searched Gibbons’ residence on July 16, 2021, and he admitted to police that he had used a search engine to access CEM.

She said he told police he was addicted to adult pornography and curiosity lead him to “continue clicking” until he downloaded CEM.

The court heard analysis of Gibbons’s devices – an iPhone XR and iPhone 11 – revealed he had downloaded four files over the course of one month, featuring girls aged 11 to 14 years.

He had 53 images of one female about the age of 12 exposing her breasts and wearing only bikini bottoms.

Michael James Gibbons, 25.

Ms Barker described the material as “deplorable” and Gibbons’ breaches of bail as a “blatant disregard for court orders”.

“The post offending conduct is significant as it involves the defendant possessing social media applications, such as Instagram and Facebook and approaching underage females in Airlie Beach,” she said.

Gibbons’s breaches of bail also involved him not living at his bail address, having accessed accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok and using Instagram to contact an underage girl.

He made some sexual comments towards one of the girls he contacted.

Judge Katherine McGinness said if Gibbons did not stop approaching underage girls, he would end up in prison for a long time.

“Sixteen-year-old, 17-year-old, 18-year-old girls are not interested in you,” she said.

“It’s creepy.

“So, you just have to keep away from them.”

Michael James Gibbons, 25.

Defence barrister Maree Willey provided the court with a report by a psychologist which outlined Gibbons’ background and mental health diagnosis of depression and anxiety.

The court heard Gibbons had been married at the time of the offending, but he was now separated, and he had been living in Airlie Beach prior to being remanded in custody due to his continual breaching of bail conditions.

He has been seeing a psychologist and a counsellor for his mental health and has been placed on medication.

Gibbons plans to relocate to New South Wales to live with his mother.

Judge McGinness sentenced Gibbons, for using a carriage service to access CEM, to 15 months’ prison with immediate release on a two-year good behaviour bond with a $500 recognisance.

She also placed him on probation for two years with special conditions including he undertake any psychological or psychiatric treatment he is directed to do.

Judge McGinness also sentenced Gibbons to 15 months’ prison for the possession of CEM, suspended after serving 48 days, for an operational period of two years.

She declared 48 days pre-sentence custody as time served.