John Joseph Power: Child sex tourist sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court

A Brisbane man who groomed young girls and committed “depraved” sexual acts against them while on a trip to the Philippines has been dealt with in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Four young girls have been left traumatised after a Brisbane man groomed and committed “depraved” sexual offences against them while he was on a trip to the Philippines in 2019.

John Joseph Power, 57, was on Monday jailed for making child pornography and committing sexual offences against the victims, the youngest being a 10-year-old girl.

For four weeks before leaving Australia, Power used WhatsApp to groom a 16-year-old girl in the Philippines and arranged to meet her when he arrived in the country in August 2019, the Brisbane Supreme Court heard.

The girl was “significantly corrupted” by Power to the point that she “recruited” other young girls including her cousin to talk to and meet with Power.

Power would have sexually explicit conversations with the girls online and would request “pornographic material” from them, the court heard.

John Joseph Power leaving Brisbane Magistrates Court after an earlier mention on the charges. Picture: Tara Croser

Power invited the 16-year-old and two girls aged 13 and 14 to an apartment in the Philippines to engage in sexual activities several times over four weeks and took photos and videos of them in various positions, some sexual and some depicting him groping or hugging the girls.

On one occasion, Power told the 16 and 14-year-old girls to “skip school” to meet with him.

The court heard Power saved the photos and videos and categorised the child exploitation material into folders on his laptop, each folder named after one of the victims.

The full extent of the sexual activity between Power and the three teenagers was unknown but did not involve sexual intercourse.

The 16-year-old girl also connected him with a 10-year-old girl, and Power began grooming her after buying her a mobile phone to communicate with him.

Upon arriving back in Brisbane on September 29, 2019, Power was subject to baggage checks and was intercepted by Australia Border Force officers who examined his phone, laptop and camera.

Forensic examinations found 115 photos and videos of child exploitation material and evidence he had used Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp to communicate with the children.

Power’s defence barrister said the now 57-year-old had been an alcoholic at the time of the offending, drinking up to two litres of brandy a day while in the Philippines.

John Joseph Power. Picture: Tara Croser

He said Power had since been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and was committed to his rehabilitation.

He said the offences were “out of character” for Power and had occurred during a “period of great destabilisation” in his life and that at his worst Power was consuming 30 drinks a day.

The court heard Power was a full-time carer for his 89-year-old mother and that he had also recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Power pleaded guilty to several offences, the most serious being one count of persistent sexual abuse of a child outside Australia, as well as engaging in sexual activity with a child outside Australia and grooming a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia.

His other offences included:

• two counts of possessing child exploitation material
• two counts of possessing, controlling, producing, distributing or obtaining child abuse material outside Australia
• four counts of possessing, controlling, producing, distributing or obtaining child pornography material outside Australia
  
• possessing, controlling, producing, distributing or obtaining child pornography material outside Australia
  
• producing supplying or obtaining child pornography material with intent to be used by himself/herself to commit an offence
  
• intentional importing tier 2 goods without approval
• producing supplying or obtaining child pornography material with intent to be used by himself/herself to commit an offence
  
• two counts of using a carriage service to cause child pornography material to be transmitted to self
  
• using a carriage service to solicit child pornography material
  

Justice Elizabeth Wilson said she felt for the children who had each written victim impact statements.

One child described feeling traumatised while another felt fear, shame and blamed herself.

The youngest said she had been “confused” about getting money from Power.

Justice Wilson said there were signs of “significant corruption” in the children, especially the 16-year-old who “recruited” other children for Power’s “depraved” offences.

She said Power exploited the children’s young ages and financial vulnerability for his own sexual gratification.

Power was given a head sentence of eight years with a non-parole period of four years.

One day in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.