Junior sport coach shock child sex abuse allegations aired in court
A volunteer junior sports coach and female partner are accused of taking photographs of their children, aged under 12, in sexualised situations and positions, a court was told.
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A VOLUNTEER junior sports coach and female partner are accused of taking photographs of their children, aged under 12, in sexualised situations and positions, a court was told.
The Gold Coast man, who works in a family-orientated hospitality business, is also accused of prostituting out his stepdaughter, the Southport Magistrates Court was told yesterday.
It is alleged most images relate to the pair’s own children but police are still working through the material to identify the children involved.
The man was denied bail after appearing in court yesterday facing multiple charges including making child exploitation material, distributing child exploitation material, using the internet to procure a child under 12, using a carriage service to prepare to harm or engage in sexual activity with a person under 12, indecent treatment of a child under 12 and possessing child exploitation material.
The woman has also been charged but was given watchhouse bail after being arrested earlier this month. She is yet to appear in court.
Magistrate Michelle Dooley said she did not accept children unrelated to him were not at risk.
“When his children are taken out of the picture does this put other children at risk?” she said.
The pair sent more than 40,000 messages exchanging explicit images of children and discussing sexual “fantasies” involving their young children, the court was told.
The pair cannot be named as it will identify the children involved. Their children have been removed and placed in care.
Magistrate Dooley said it was a “difficult matter for police”.
“It appears from the number of text messages, and the number of parties involved in this through social media platforms, there seem to be a lot of people aware of this exploitation which is concerning,” she said.
The charges relate to incidents between August 30 last year and June 5.
Police prosecutor Donn Reid said police were still combing through the material seized.
“The evidence has been growing day-by-day and fresh serious offences have been added since he was arrested (last week),” he said.
The couple both have children from previous relationships. It is alleged they are the children who are the subject of the child abuse images.
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Defence lawyer Michael McMillan, of McMillan Criminal Law, said the risk to other children was low.
“It’s a fantasy life where they live out fantasy and it’s with other like-minded people,” he said.
“His fantasies are by and large are restricted to his own children.”
Mr McMillan said the man’s blue card to work with children had been revoked and his coaching duties at junior sport were cancelled.
The matter will return to court on July 7.
Originally published as Junior sport coach shock child sex abuse allegations aired in court