Stephen Potts in Lismore court over accessing child porn

Named: A Lismore disability worker used Snapchat and sexting forums to access material of boys and fantasised about having sex with children.

A disability worker who accessed and spread sexual images of children has learnt his fate after telling the court he hated himself for the deed.

Stephen Potts, 29, was sentenced for eight carriage-related child abuse material offences, including three of using a carriage service to transmit/publish/promote child abuse.

Potts was part of a group of offenders charged over child exploitation material uncovered by the Australian Federal Police during Operation Arkstone.

The child victims ranged in age from 16 months to 15 years, with an average age of eight years.

The large-scale investigation into a network of alleged child sex offenders identified 46 Australian victims, including 16 from a childcare centre.

The Lismore Heights former disability worker was called to give evidence on Wednesday, where he was visibly emotional.

He told the court he had divorced from his husband after the charges and lost a working with children check which meant he could no longer work in the disability sector.

When asked to describe how he felt about the offending and whether his actions sharing child abuse links could have led to further children being harmed, he broke down in tears.

“I don’t know if my actions have had any affect on someone,” he said.

“It terrifies me.

“I’m angry with myself, I’m disgusted with myself, all my life I’ve always helped people.”

The court heard Potts was a pre-teen himself when he began chatting to men on online forums.

Commonwealth Crown Prosecutor Bethany Debenham said she feared Potts remained socially isolated which had been a catalyst for his offending.

“(Those) triggers identified are not unusual difficulties for a person to face during their life,” she said.

However, Judge Warwick Hunt said having heard his evidence, he accepted Potts wouldn’t reoffend in this way.

“His candor and his search for an explanation is consistent with someone really trying to understand what is literally a perversion,” he said.

Judge Hunt acknowledged there were no “no fully degrading, masochistic images” in Potts’ offending, including bestiality or violent extremism.

The material was discovered during a raid of Potts’ Goonellabah home in August 2020.

It is understood Potts, a Scottish national, accessed the child abuse material between July 2018 to August 2020.

The court heard Potts used Snapchat and sexting forums to access and share the material where he watched material featuring pubescent boys acting and had written fantasies about having sex with children.

Judge Hunt detailed, in one case, Potts had Snapchat conversations with a father who would send him pictures of his son in his underwear.

Potts also posted multiple advertisements for people to contact him with material, including one which read “Married Daddy looking for young boys to be my son”.

Judge Hunt noted this kind of offending was certainly not victimless.

“Child are either forced, groomed, manipulated or exploited,” he said.

“Although the individual circumstances of the victims are unknown, it is clear many of them will be damaged by this kind of conduct.”

Judge Hunt convicted Potts and sentenced him to two years and nine months in jail.

However, Potts will serve 12 months and then be released on a recognizance release order under good behaviour for a period of three years.

Australian Federal Police officer Constable Emily McFarlane issued a statement after the sentence.

 “With each Operation Arkstone arrest, we identified more alleged offenders and sadly more children to be saved from further harm,” Constable McFarlane said.

“We’re leaving no stone unturned and are continuing to share intelligence with our counterparts across Australia and around the world to stop child sex offenders from exploiting and harming more children.”