‘Very disturbing interest’: Judge denies remorse of Tasmanian man stung with child abuse material for second time

A Tasmanian man who was caught with more than 100 files of “serious and grave” child abuse material – his second such offence – has finally faced justice in the Hobart Magistrates Court.

A 65-year-old man has been sentenced to six months in jail after accessing 179 videos of child abuse material. Photo: iStock

A Tasmanian man who was caught with more than 100 files of “serious and grave” child abuse material has been sentenced to six months in jail.

Tony James Bennett, now 65, unsuccessfully tried to argue his remorse in Hobart Magistrates Court on Friday in front of his wife, son and brother-in-law after being charged with one count of accessing child exploitation material.

Magistrates Court in Hobart

Police raided on Bennett’s Kingston home in 2021, uncovering 179 videos and child abuse terms in the computer’s search engine history.

The files were downloaded over 12 months between November 2019 and November 2020.

Some of the child abuse material included children as young as two years old and included rape and bestiality.

Chief Magistrate Catherine Geason denied claims by defence lawyer Cameron Scott that Bennett “recognised the seriousness of his offending”.

“When interviewed by the police, Mr Bennett denied accessing the material and had suggested his computer or phone had been hacked,” she said.

“Ultimately, Mr Bennett also pleaded guilty at a very late stage.

“I can’t see where there’s any evidence of him being sorry or showing remorse.”

Bennett entered a guilty plea on August 2 when he appeared for the hearing of the matter, just a week before his conviction.

In 2007, the authorities convicted the Nyrstar employee on a similar charge of producing child abuse material and sentenced him to two months’ prison.

Ms Geason said the prior history and Bennett’s “very disturbing interest in this material” necessitated a sentence.

Bennett received a six-month jail sentence, with three months suspended as long as he did not reoffend.

Ms Geason ordered Bennett to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for four years.

Originally published as ‘Very disturbing interest’: Judge denies remorse of Tasmanian man stung with child abuse material for second time