Adam John Hodgson jailed for grooming who he believed was a 15-year-old girl

A predator who was caught at Glenelg after arranging a meeting with a “15-year-old girl” and her friend still denies he is sexually interested in children.

A predator still denies his sexual interest in children despite arranging to meet a 15-year-old girl and her friend to “show them things”.

Adam John Hodgson, 43, was jailed after he engaged in highly sexualised conversation with the undercover officer, despite telling a psychologist he knew the operative was fake.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Hodgson initiated a conversation with an undercover police officer assuming the identity of a 15-year-old girl on the Kik group Adelaideteen.

“You engaged in sexually explicit role playing, telling the operative in graphic detail what sexual acts you would like to perform on the children and explained how you had used your dog in sexual acts,” Judge Joanne Tracey said.

The court heard Hodgson sent the operative some “highly explicit” images and videos.

Adam Hodgson was jailed for grooming who he believed was a 15-year-old girl. Picture: iStock

Hodgson then planned to meet the operative and her friend at the Glenelg foreshore and was arrested in a carpark on September 6, 2023.

Police analysed his devices and found child exploitation material.

Hodgson, of Seaton, pleaded guilty to communicating to make a child amenable for sexual activity and disseminating and possessing child exploitation material.

The court heard Hodgson told a psychologist he became involved in the Kik group to help teenagers and to make them happy.

Hodgson also told the psychologist he thought he could “show them (the children) things” but denied sexual interest in children.

“You explained that you had begun using Kik to feel wanted and that your motivation for the sexually explicit discussions was to gain attention,” Judge Tracey said.

“You also disclosed how you believed that the child exploitation material located comprised videos you had downloaded from Kik and from what you could remember, was ‘all adult stuff’.”

The court heard Hodgson, who was raised in Whyalla, told the psychologist he knew the operative was fake.

However, Judge Tracey said that was difficult to accept given Hodgson arranged to meet the children in person.

“Child pornography is not a victimless crime … you have exploited those children by using them for your own sexual gratification,” she said.

Hodgson was sentenced to three years and three months in jail, with a non-parole period of 22 months.

The sentence was backdated to September 6, 2023.

Originally published as Adam John Hodgson jailed for grooming who he believed was a 15-year-old girl