Scott Douglas Fowler jailed for accessing, possessing child abuse material
Emotions were high in a Sunshine Coast courtroom as a former IT worker busted with more than a thousand files containing child abuse material was jailed.
Police & Courts
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A 44-year-old Gold Coast man sobbed and hugged his parents in a Sunshine Coast courtroom after he was jailed for a stash of almost 1500 photos and videos of child abuse material.
Scott Douglas Fowler’s parents and ex-partner supported him in the public gallery of the Maroochydore District Court on Monday, December 4, as disturbing details about his arrest as part of Taskforce Argos were shared.
Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks told the court 1429 images and 29 videos of child abuse material were found after detectives seized a computer tower, laptop, hard drive and USB stick from Fowler’s Bli Bli home on October 8, 2022.
Ms Marks said the content included children as young as two years old and one of the videos appeared to be from a hidden camera in a girls’ changing room.
The court was told Fowler told police he often accessed a file sharing website to access explicit videos as a way to relax before he went to sleep every night. He then said during this, he had viewed child abuse material.
He told police he used the computer tower to access the content, and then moved it to the USB where he uploaded it to his computer.
Barrister Thomas Zwoerner said the offending began around March, 2022, following the breakdown of a relationship.
The pair split one week before Fowler was arrested by Argos detectives in October.
Mr Zwoerner said his client had been the victim of sexual abuse when he was a pre-teen, which left a “deep scar”.
Fowler moved in with his parents on the Gold Coast after he was arrested, Zwoerner said.
He was unemployed, but had previously worked in IT.
He pleaded guilty to one charge each of using a carriage service to access child abuse material and possessing child abuse material.
He was given a head sentence of 18 months behind bars, to serve four months. He was ordered to serve two years’ probation with a $1000 good behaviour bond for three years.
Fowler appeared upset at the sentence, and after it was handed down hugged his supporters while crying. He could be heard saying “I’m sorry mum” to his mother.
Convictions were recorded.
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