Tasmanian man jailed for ‘depraved’ crimes after international child rescue operation
A 41-year-old Launceston man, whose online purchase of child exploitation material triggered an operation which rescued six children in the Philippines in 2024, has been jailed.
Tasmania
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A 41-year-old Launceston man, whose online purchase of child exploitation material triggered an international operation which rescued six children in the Philippines in 2024, has been jailed for five years by the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Alan Raynor Gray pleaded guilty to eight Commonwealth offences relating to the unlawful use of a carriage service, which included receiving a video of a Filipino minor recorded by a member of the child’s family.
After Gray’s Kings Meadows home was raided by the Tasmanian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team last March, the Australian Federal Police and the Philippine National Police launched a joint investigation which culminated in a rescue operation in the country’s south.
As exclusively reported by the Mercury last December, the raid in the Cagayan De Oro region resulted in six children being removed from harm and placed in the care of child welfare services.
Two women, aged 43 and 23, were arrested and charged with human trafficking and child abuse material offences.
Ordering that Gray’s name be added to Tasmania’s sex offenders register for the maximum 15 years allowed under law, Justice Michael Brett said the defendant had prior convictions for communicating with minors, and possessing child exploitation material.
Justice Brett described some of the online conversations discovered by police on Gray’s mobile phone as “depraved, violent and sickening”, and said prosecutors alleged the offender had searched for flights to the Philippines following his purchase of the video.
“I regard the objective seriousness of the offences to which you have now pleaded guilty as extremely high,” His Honour told Gray.
“In relation to the communication offences, your use of the internet to engage with persons you believed to be, and who may well have been, children, is of particular concern.
“The internet offers a concerning degree of accessibility and secrecy, and thereby facilitates predatory behaviour of the nature committed by you. It also makes that conduct difficult to detect.
“It is not suggested that you had any intention of following through on the connection you had made with those concerned, but you were clearly interacting and communicating with them for the purpose of sexual gratification. Such conduct had the real potential to exploit and corrupt children.
“The same can be said about the child abuse offences. All of the child abuse material concerned the abuse and corruption of children, but the last two offences are particularly serious.
“Both involved the serious abuse of children, potentially in real time, as a response to your communication and in which you were involved by way of that communication.
“These offences demonstrate moral culpability of a high degree.”
Justice Brett ordered that Gray serve at least three years in jail before being eligible for parole.
Members of the public who have information about people involved in child abuse are urged to contact the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE).
More Coverage
Originally published as Tasmanian man jailed for ‘depraved’ crimes after international child rescue operation
Tasmanian military veteran awarded top French honour
A Tasmanian Army Reserve veteran, who has served as national president of the RSL since 2019, has received a prestigious French honour for his role planning Anzac centenary commemorations.
‘Sacrifices of those who came before’: families honour Anzacs in Tassie services
‘Without him … I would not be here and many of you would not be here” Elizabeth College student Lachlan Monk spoke of his great grandfather’s “indomitable spirit” at Friday’s Hobart Dawn Service. Hear from the other families honouring the Anzac heroes.