Lismore man Gregory Vincent Connery jailed after trying to groom supposed 14yo girl into meeting him for sex

A man in his 60s caught in a police sting trying to groom a supposed 14-year-old girl into having sex with him has been sentenced for his crimes.

Lismore Courthouse on Zadoc St, Lismore.

A Northern Rivers man caught in a police sting trying to groom a supposed 14-year-old girl into having sex with him has been sentenced in a Lismore court.

East Lismore’s Gregory Vincent Connery pleaded guilty to child grooming after exchanging perverted messages with NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad officers posing as the fake teenager.

The 63-year-old man used the online identity ‘9inchboner’ and engaged in conversations of a sexual nature with the ‘girl’, eventually planning to meet to abuse her.

Gregory Vincent Connery.

During the police operation Connery approached the ‘child’ and replied “perfect” when told she was just 14.

He asked for a mobile phone number so he could have a “naughty chat”, police state in Lismore District Court documents.

Connery repeatedly steered the conversation toward sex and he invited the supposed teen to a Sydney hotel room for sex – despite being repeatedly reminded the girl was underage.

Police said in the documents Connery had shown “complete disregard for the young age” of the ‘girl’.

He was caught “repeatedly expressing sexually explicit acts that he wished to perform with her and also clearly stating his desire to travel and meet with (her) for the purpose of performing those sexual acts” in September 2022.

Police arrested Connery at a South Lismore business on the morning of September 14, 2022.

Officers raided the property and seized a mobile phone and laptop.

Gregory Vincent Connery leaves Lismore Courthouse after a previous appearance.

Connery later admitted to officers at Lismore Police Station that he was responsible for sexually explicit chat logs on the devices, the court was told.

Connery was out on bail when he failed to appear before the Lismore court in August, despite police speaking with him the day before.

Judge John Pickering issued a warrant for Connery’s arrest and told the court the defendant was “trying to avoid his sentence” and it was a “very serious matter”.

On Thursday, Connery appeared before Judge Sarah Hopkins in the dock at Lismore District Court before Judge Sarah Hopkins.

Connery was sentenced for using a carriage service to procure under 16 years for sexual activity and using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with child.

He was sentenced to three years and nine months jail with a non-parole period of one year and ten months.

Connery will be eligible for parole on May 31, 2026.

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