Justin Daniel Theodore Giffin in Maroochydore court for grooming girls

Girls as young as 10 have been targeted by a “vile” Sunshine Coast reportable offender and father-of-two who was posing as a teenager and asking for explicit content.

Girls as young as 10 using social media platforms have been targeted by a Sunshine Coast reportable offender who was posing as a teenager and asking for explicit content.

A reportable offender used Instagram and Snapchat to manipulate pre-pubescent girls as young as 10 to engage in “sex talks” and send him nude photos and videos of themselves, a court has heard.

Justin Daniel Theodore Giffin, now 31, was given 4.5 years’ prison with immediate parole eligibility after serving almost two years in presentence custody.

Maroochydore District Court heard how Giffin posed as a child between the age of 14 or 15 when he used Snapchat and Instagram to engage in sexually explicit conversations with at least 13 female children.

The girls were aged between 10 and 15 years, with the conduct occurring over a six-month period between April and November, 2020.

Giffin, who was 29 at the time, would request sexually explicit photographs and videos of the girls and send the children child exploitation material as examples of the content he wanted the girls to send him.

Judge Nathan Jarro said Giffin induced the girls to assume sexualised positions, expose their genitals and engage in sexual activities for his own gratification.

“You should be thoroughly ashamed of your actions,” Judge Jarro said.

He also sent videos and photographs of his own genitals.

Court documents stated while the communication was occurring, Giffin used a screen recorder application to record his interactions with the children, thereby creating child exploitation material.

The recordings were discovered during a forensic examination of Giffin’s mobile phone.

Some of the messages sent by Giffin included, “dance like a stripper for me”, “let’s snap each other b4 shower”, “show me that body”, “hungry for that p--y”, “u got a bangin body for 13” and “mmm it looks tasty” while others were far more explicit.

Girls as young as 10 using social media platforms have been targeted by a Sunshine Coast reportable offender who was posing as a teenager and asking for explicit content.

Crown prosecutor Stuart Cummings said Giffin was on probation at the time for sexual offending against an 11-year-old girl and was subject to reporting obligations.

He said Giffin’s interactions had impacted each of the victims, with one of the girls losing 7kg and still struggling to sleep.

“I now have constant trust issues with near to all male figures older than me,” one of the victims said in court as she delivered a powerful victim impact statement.

“I felt forced to continue and I was too young and helpless to know how to stand up for myself and say no.

“I had just got the app which was used so I had little idea of how to restrict someone’s access to my account.

“I felt that I couldn’t talk to anyone, I was ashamed.”

“Each of these children now has to come to terms with the violation and the fact they have engaged in abnormal behaviour and now try to salvage their lives ... all of this so that Mr Giffin could obtain some gratification in a deliberate and carefully planned attack,” Mr Cummings said in court.

The court heard Giffin – who has started a Certificate III in IT – also recorded his partner while she was in the shower.

The 31-year-old also accessed child exploitation material via the internet on three occasions and was found to be in possession of a “significant” quantity of child abuse material.

Defence barrister Mark Dixon said his client provided his phone’s access codes to police and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

“He was unwell at the time the offending occurred ... he is the father of two children,” Mr Dixon said.

Mr Dixon said Giffin was exposed to sexual abuse himself as a child and had worked in yoghurt making in the past.

Giffin pleaded guilty to offences including 13 counts of indecent treatment of children under 16, distributing child exploitation material, involving child in making child exploitation material, using carriage service to access child abuse material and possessing child exploitation material.