Predator photographer Michael Townsend jailed for six years after indecently assaulting children at home photo shoots

A predator photographer who groped young children during home photo shoots is behind bars but an autistic victim’s mother says the sentence isn’t justice.

A predator photographer has been labelled a “sick animal” by a mother of one of his victims, saying his sentence wasn’t justice.

Michael Andrew Townsend, 38, was jailed for six years after brazenly groped children during home photo shoots, sometimes in front of their parents.

However, outside court, the grandparents of one of the victims labelled the sentence a joke, while a mother said she didn’t feel it was justice.

The mother said her now 17-year-old autistic daughter was left with an eating disorder and PTSD after Townsend followed her into a locked bathroom and groped her.

“She doesn’t like having her photos taken anymore at dance competitions due to the trust factor,” she said.

“(He’s) a sick animal.

“I also have autism so he just preyed on us.”

Michael Townsend was jailed for six years for indecently assaulting four children during photo shoots. Picture: LinkedIn

During sentencing on Thursday, the District Court heard Townsend owned a photography business he ran from his own home and specialised in photographing children.

The court heard his brazen offending involved him indecently assaulting four victims during photo shoots.

During one incident, he followed the child into a locked bathroom where she was cleaning fake blood off her body after a Halloween photo shoot.

The victim declined Townsend’s offer for help twice before he picked up a cloth and began scrubbing her breasts, which was witnessed by her mother.

The court heard 390 files of child exploitation material was also found on Townsend’s computer, with child sex search terms.

Townsend pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent assault and one count of possessing child exploitation material, dating back to 2020.

The court heard Townsend, a married father whose wife remains supportive of him, had written a letter of apology to his victims.

Ursula Matson, for Townsend, previously told the court because of her client being “hands on” in his business to get the best shot he became very complacent and normalised the behaviour.

“What he did to these victims, for some reason, just did not compute in his mind as being inappropriate,” she said.

Judge Anthony Allen said Townsend had betrayed the trust of parents and caregivers by abusing their children.

“Your possession of child exploitation material together with the contact offending is demonstrative of a sexual interest in children,” he said.

“This is extremely concerning.”

Townsend was jailed for six years, with a non-parole period of four years and nine months.

The sentence was backdated to February 8, 2022.

Originally published as Predator photographer Michael Townsend jailed for six years after indecently assaulting children at home photo shoots