Alec Stephen West: Victorian father jailed for more than 11 years over creation of child abuse subscription game

An Australian father created and profited off a child abuse video game downloaded “millions and millions” of times by pedophiles across the globe.

The Australian creator of a horrific child abuse video game downloaded by international pedophiles “millions” of times has been slammed for his lack of remorse and insight.

Geelong father Alec Stephen West, 32, was jailed for 11 years in the Victorian County Court on Tuesday afternoon after pleading guilty to charges including producing child abuse material, controlling websites hosting child abuse material and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing material of real children being sexually abused and spying on and filming three women in their own homes.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Gerard Mullaly said it appeared this was the first prosecution of its kind.

Computers, televisions and audio-visual equipment was seized from West’s home. Picture: Supplied/ Australian Federal Police

The court was told West created the child abuse video game, which NewsWire has chosen not to name as it remains available online, and made it available for download on two websites.

For three years prior to his arrest in August 2023, West treated the game development as a full-time occupation, pushing out updates every two months and creating “special editions” such as for Christmas or Halloween.

He had a Canadian accomplice, the court was told, who assisted with technical support.

Judge Mullaly said while real children were not depicted, the game involved the grooming and sexual abuse of “life-like” characters.

“The scope and spread of the game was enormous,” he said.

“While there can be no precision it seems a descriptor like millions and millions of downloads is an apt description.

“The whole enterprise was squarely directed at vile sexualising and sexual exploitation of, and explicit sexual acts committed with, children.”

He was jailed for 11 years and seven months. Picture: NewsWire / Penny Stephens

The court was told West had received $891,000 through paid subscriptions tiers and at the time of his arrest there were more than 3000 subscribers.

Describing West as an “evil entrepreneur”, Judge Mullaly said West’s creation was not harmless and could be seen as normalising abhorrent sexual behaviours.

His home was raided by members of the Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team who discovered more than 145,000 images and videos depicting child abuse on his electronic devices.

The majority were video and pictures from his abuse game, although Judge Mullaly said police found 557 files depicting real children and videos taken of three women through their bedroom windows.

The court was told a forensic physiologist expressed concerns West could remain offence free when released back into the community and displayed traits of narcissistic and anti-social personality disorders.

Police seized cars and furniture as proceeds of crime. Picture: Supplied/ Australian Federal Police.

Images from inside West’s home were released by police. Picture: Supplied/ Australian Federal Police.

He had demonstrated a lack of insight into crimes and the impact of his actions, Judge Mullaly said.

West was motivated by his own sexual perversions and a desire to make money from other like-minded individuals, the judge said.

“Your own created animated child abuse material adds to and it seems feeds off your own perverted interest in real-life children being horribly abused,” he said.

West was jailed for 11 years and seven months and will be eligible for parole after serving eight years and four months of his sentence.

Originally published as Alec Stephen West: Victorian father jailed for more than 11 years over creation of child abuse subscription game