Lismore’s Benjamin Keith Gully on strict bail after pleading guilty to child abuse charges

A Northern NSW artist, set to be sentenced after planning to operate a child sex ring, has been banned from doing any paid or volunteer work that could bring him into contact with children as he remains free on bail.

Benjamin Gully is a Lismore artist. Picture: Instagram

A South Lismore artist, set to be sentenced after planning to operate a child sex ring, has been banned from doing any paid or volunteer work that could bring him into contact with children as he remains free on bail in the lead-up to his next court appearance.

Benjamin Keith Gully has also been banned from going near schools and playgrounds and was ordered to hand in his passport as a set of strict bail conditions, which already included alcohol and drug restrictions and a ban on frequenting social media or the internet

The 44-year-old faced Lismore Local Court on Wednesday after previously pleading guilty to using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and using a carriage service to access child abuse material.

Documents tendered to court state Gully was also charged with four counts of possessing a prohibited drug.

Gully has been placed on strict bail conditions, including not being allowed to go near premises known to be frequented by children including schools, arcades, playgrounds, childcare centres or concerts/shows, under the age of 16.

Gully must report to Lismore Police Station twice a week. (File picture)

He also cannot access social media or the internet – except for banking purposes. He cannot possess any encrypted device or applications including WhatsApp, Snapchat, Wickr, Viber, KIK, Messenger, Zoom, Discord, WeChat or Telegram.

And he cannot work or volunteer anywhere that would bring him into contact with anyone under 16 nor can he communicate with anyone under 16 besides immediate family members.

Benjamin Gully

Gully must report to Lismore Police Station two days a week and live at a Lismore address. He needs to surrender his passport and not go enter an airport.

The accused is also not allowed to drink alcohol or take drugs.

Court documents stated Gully was arrested at his home on January 5 after a police investigation discovered he was communicating with a Queensland pedophile.

Gully accessed child abuse material containing 13 videos of adults having sex with children, police state.

Gully is not allowed to access the internet, except for online banking purposes. (File picture)

He also sent child abuse in the form of written stories to the interstate pedophile on the encrypted messaging platform Telegram under the username ‘Benny Tweed Poz’, the documents state.

When the other pedophile sent Gully child abuse videos, Gully replied: “F--king spectacular. That’s so f--king hot and actually beautiful just as it should be,” police facts state.

“Another example of why boys are made for this. Look how f--king happy that kid is … and totally in his comfort zone.”

Gully also referred to a child as “a little hottie”.

In one of the videos a child was blindfolded and did not move, appearing unconscious, police said.

Gully told the other man a story about going camping and having sex with a child, documents state.

Gully expressed interest in making child porn with the Queensland man and discussed starting a group where “dads would show off their sons” and would include a rotating roster, police facts state.

When police raided Gully’s home, they allegedly found a stash of drugs including 18.9g of cannabis, 3.4g of meth, 2.3g cocaine and 1g of MDMA.

Gully was arrested and taken to Lismore Police Station where he told police he engaged in “age play” with the other pedophile.

The case is set to move up to Lismore District Court and has been adjourned to February. A sentence assessment report has been requested.