Jake Thomas Vandermeel from Safety Beach in Coffs Harbour court on sextortion charges
There are thousands of pages of material to review in the prosecution case against a man who allegedly sextorted and threatened to abduct, rape and kill a teen girl, a court has heard.
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There are thousands of pages of material to review in the prosecution case against a man who allegedly sextorted and threatened to abduct, rape and kill a teen girl, a court has heard.
In October 2024 Jake Thomas Vandermeel was charged over the alleged sadistic sextortion of a 15-year-old girl by coercing her into committing sexual acts and self-harm online for nine months.
Police allege the 28-year-old from the seaside suburb of Safety Beach, about 30km north of Coffs Harbour, had been grooming the girl he met online, and was threatening her to send videos of herself carrying out various compromising sexual acts and self-harm.
Officers from the NSW Sex Crimes Squad will further allege he then threatened to abduct, rape and kill the child through conversations he had with her online.
The child was able to engage with the Kids HelpLine shortly after, who notified police.
Vandermeel allegedly used several different online platforms, including game and chat forums, with the child for up to six hours a day and purchased gaming cards to keep her engaged.
At the time of his arrest, Sex Crimes Squad commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said Vandermeel allegedly first connected with the “vulnerable child” in October 2023.
Detective Superintendent Doherty said during those nine months, Vandermeel also allegedly “manipulated” and “coerced” the young girl into committing acts of self-harm and sexual acts online for his own “sexual gratification” and “pleasure.”
He was arrested on October 16 and has been remanded in custody ever since.
Vandermeel is facing charges of using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child and to both access and solicit child abuse material, doing or planning harm to a person under 16 years, child grooming, threatening death or serious harm, sending indecent material to a person under 16 years, and causing child sexual activity.
The matter came before Magistrate Julia Virgo in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday where a solicitor for the the Director of Public Prosecutions asked that the case be adjourned due to the sheer volume of material that needed to be analysed, referencing almost 8000 pages of documents.
But Vandermeel’s lawyer opposed the adjournment, saying he had been remanded in custody since October 16 and that the case needed to progress.
Ms Virgo allowed the adjournment saying they were “very serious charges” and that there was a “very large brief” of evidence to be considered.
The matter was adjourned to June 10.
Meanwhile police warned parents generally about sadistic sextortion cases rising across the state, particularly involving young girls.
“We’re seeing a rise in sadistic sextortion – it’s relatively new, where we become used to hearing about children becoming vulnerable for financial gain but with sadistic sextortion an offender isn’t out to get money, he’s out to drive that child to do more and more sadistic things for his gratification,” Detective Superintendent Doherty said in October.
“We ask parents, be aware who your children are talking to online, be engaged in their online activity and look out for any red flags so children committing self harm or disconnecting from people within their home or their friends.
“Have these conversations with your kids about these people. They are out there.”
Got a news tip? Email: janine.watson@news.com.au
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