Gregory Vincent Connery faces Lismore court charged with using social media to engage in sex act with a child

A Lismore man, who is out on bail, was exposed by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad trying to groom a supposed child into having sex with him.

Gregory Vincent Connery leaves the court.

An East Lismore man has pleaded guilty to child grooming after exchanging perverted messages with a 14-year-old girl that turned out to be the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.

Gregory Vincent Connery faced Lismore District Court on Wednesday.

The 62-year-old, who used the online identity ‘9inchboner’, has been charged with using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to use a carriage service to procure a child under 16-years-old for sexual activity.

Connery engaged in sexual conversations with a supposed 14-year-old girl on a social media network before arranging to meet with her for sex, police facts revealed.

The girl was in fact a fake identity created by investigators attached to the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad - Child Exploitation Internet Unit.

Gregory Vincent Connery leaving Lismore Court.

Connery approached the ‘child’ and when she told him she was only 14-years-old he replied “perfect”.

He asked for a mobile phone number so he could have a "naughty chat”, police stated.

Connery passed on his phone number, registered to his address in East Lismore, to the ‘girl’.

Connery repeatedly steered the conversation towards sexual acts he wished to do to the ‘child’.

On one occasion, Connery invited the ‘child’ her to a Sydney hotel room for sex.

Connery was repeatedly reminded the ‘girl’ was aged 14 while messages were exchanged.

“Connery has shown complete disregard for the young age of (the girl), 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,” police facts stated.

Gregory Vincent Connery leaving the court.

Connery was arrested at a South Lismore business around 10.20am on September 14.

Police searched his property on a warrant while he was locked up and seized a laptop and phone.

Connery told police he was the only person who used the mobile phone and he was the author of the sexually explicit chat logs with the fake girl while being interviewed at Lismore Police Station.

Connery’s defence barrister Sophie Anderson told Judge Jenifer English her client was pleading guilty and wanted to proceed to sentencing. Connery is out on bail ahead of his sentencing in the court on April 20.