Quinton Castle-Edmonstone sentenced over grooming parent of child under 16

A man has been busted after talking to an undercover cop who had titled herself as “Naughty Mum” in bid to arrange a meet to have sex with her 12-year-old daughter.

Quinton Castle-Edmonstone has pleaded guilty to one count of grooming a parent of a child under 16 years.

A man who thought he was talking to a mother of two children tried to arrange a meet to have sex with her 12-year-old daughter, a court has heard.

Quinton Castle-Edmonstone pleaded guilty to one count of grooming a parent of a child under 16 years in Brisbane’s District Court.

The court heard Castle-Edmonstone began communicating online with whom he thought was a mother of a 12-year-old girl but was in fact an undercover cop who had titled herself “Naughty Mum”.

Over a period of 55 days he engaged in graphic conversation, indicating he was sexually interested in young girls and that ages 12 to 15 were his preference.

It included descriptions of the type of sex acts that he would like to perform with the other person’s 12-year-old daughter.

“I’d love to chat about meeting Lily. How do you think we could go about it? With her being 12, she might catch on to what’s going on,” he said to the cop.

“I’m excited to, as long as we can keep it hush LOL. I know what’s on the line for both of us if she speaks up.”

He pleaded guilty in the Brisbane District Court to one count of grooming a parent of a child aged under 16.

Castle-Edmonstone – who was aged 24 and 25 at the time – requested photos of the fictional child’s underwear and discussed the basics of a proposed meet up including what time he finished work and what weekends were available.

The undercover officer told him to meet her at a certain tavern but “fortunately” Castle-Edmonstone did not attend.

Police then raided his home in November last year.

He admitted creating the email account in question and the Mega account associated with the investigation, the court heard.

Judge Bradley Farr, SC, said it was serious offending.

“It was protracted, and you were persistent in your conversations, at all times believing that you were discussing sexual activity – the potential for sexual activity with a 12-year-old.

“Notwithstanding that you did not attend the meeting that was arranged, you nevertheless demonstrably, at some stage, intended to do so.

“But it would seem that you thought twice about such behaviour, which I have said is fortunate for you.”

Judge Farr accepted he was remorseful and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. References spoke of Castle-Edmonstone having an otherwise good character.

Judge Farr accepted he never had the intention of following through with plans to meet up with the fictional mother and child.

Castle-Edmonstone, who had no criminal history, had suffered mental health issues for a very long time and was now in treatment, with a psychologist finding he presented as a moderate to low risk of reoffending.

He was sentenced to one year’s jail immediately suspended.