Gregory Vincent Connery pleads guilty at Lismore court to child grooming

An East Lismore man who pleaded guilty to child grooming after he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with police posing as a 14-year-old girl on social media has faced court. Read how the police sting played out.

Gregory Connery Lismore Court

An East Lismore man who pleaded guilty to child grooming after he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with police posing as a 14-year-old girl on social media has faced court.

Gregory Vincent Connery, 62, appeared in Lismore District Court on Monday October 17 for mention on charges of using a carriage service to groom a child under 16 years of age for sex.

Using the online identity, ‘9inchboner’, Connery engaged in sexual conversations with a ‘14-year-old girl’ before arranging to meet with her for sex, police facts revealed.

The ‘girl’ was in fact an assumed identity created by investigators attached to the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad – Child Exploitation internet Unit.

Gregory Vincent Connery leaving Lismore Local Court after appearing on charges of using a carriage service to groom a child under 16 years of age for sex. Picture: Gianni Francis

Connery contacted the ‘child’ and when she told him she was 14 years old, he replied “perfect”, asking for her mobile phone number so they could have a “naughty chat”, the agreed facts stated.

The accused provided a mobile number which was registered to his address in East Lismore to the ‘girl’.

Connery repeatedly steered the conversation towards alleged sexual acts he wished to do to the ‘child’, on one occasion allegedly inviting her to a hotel room in Sydney for sex, police facts stated.

The police pretending to be the girl repeatedly reminded Connery that the person was only 14 years old, according to documents.

“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 act,” police facts stated.

Gregory Connery at Lismore Court. Picture: Gianni Francis.

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

A search warrant was issued while Connery was in custody and a laptop and mobile phone seized from his home.

While being interviewed at Lismore Police station, Connery told officers he was the only person who used the mobile phone and he was the author of the sexually explicit chat logs with the fake teenage girl, police facts stated.

Connery pleaded guilty to charges of use carriage service to procure person under 16 years for sexual activity in September.

He remains on bail and is to appear before the Lismore District Court for arraignment on November 7 to organise a sentence date.