Logan Central’s Beau Neville James Watson, 28, cops suspended jail term for ‘teen’ grooming

A court has warned a man that his “exceptional circumstances” will not deter actual imprisonment should he try to groom a child again.

A 28-year-old convicted child sex offender who tried to procure what he thought was a 14-year-old girl online, has walked free from court due to “exceptional circumstances”.

However, Logan Central man Beau Neville James Watson will have months of imprisonment “hanging over his head” after he was sentenced at Beenleigh District Court on Monday (June 6).

Watson pleaded guilty to single counts of using the internet to procure children under 16 and obstructing police.

The court heard Watson was 26 when between January 2 and March 4, 2021 he accepted a Facebook friend request from a profile that clearly stated the user was a 14-year-old girl.

It was in fact an undercover police officer.

Over the course of their correspondence, the officer purporting to be 14 years old stated clearly that she was underage.

According to the prosecution, Watson swore the “teen” to secrecy, told her he loved her and sent her an image of his erect penis amid other “indecent” exchanges.

He also requested she send an explicit image of herself and told her he would marry her.

When police raided his Logan Central residence on March 3, 2021, he became “irate”, refused to hand over his mobile phone and punched a hole in a wall, thereby obstructing police.

The court heard officers noted he had deleted “many” images and claimed that he at times entered the mindset of a 14-year-old due to his mental impairment.

Crown prosecutor Sera Aldas said it was accepted the defendant had a significant mental impairment and exhibited paraphiliac behaviour.

His offending was aggravated for occurring after previous sexual offending against children.

The court heard Watson was on March 28 sentenced to 18 months’ probation for possessing 29 exploitation images of children under 14 years of age in 2018.

With the conviction for that offending recorded he became a reportable child sex offender.

The court heard offending against children usually must attract prison sentences, except for cases where defendants can confirm “exceptional circumstances”.

Due to the seriousness of his offending, Ms Aldas urged a six-month prison sentence that she said could be wholly suspended.

The court heard Watson was in 2018 busted with 29 child exploitation images. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Defence barrister Josie Salzman said her client was “desperate” for a partner and had genuinely believed he was in a relationship with the purported 14-year-old.

The court heard Watson had been “heartbroken” when he realised the child was a police officer.

Ms Salzman said Watson had since developed a thorough understanding of his offending, knew it was wrong and had been “significantly affected” by the prospect of imprisonment.

Were he to be imprisoned he would lose the services of his support workers, one of whom was with him at court on Monday.

The defence further submitted their client had banned himself from internet use, and had funding in the works for treatment under a psychiatrist and psychologist.

A medical report confirmed his efforts for treatment and his mental impairment.

Judge Rowan Jackson accepted the defendant’s wish for a relationship was real and acknowledged his mental impairment.

Watson was sentenced to four months’ jail wholly suspended for 18 months.

A conviction was recorded and the defendant was warned were he to reoffend he would likely face actual imprisonment.