Tweed man Alex Waldron on bail after pleading guilty to possession and solicitation of child abuse material online
A Tweed man and self-described “law-abiding paedophile” has pleaded guilty to possessing shocking child abuse pictures and videos from chat rooms and shady corners of the internet.
Police & Courts
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A Northern Rivers paedophile guilty of possessing child abuse material from the dark web and chat rooms, who claimed his “moral compass had shifted”, remains on bail before sentencing.
Alex Waldron, 29, faced Judge Jennifer English in Lismore District Court, accompanied by defence solicitor Steven Bolt and his mother.
Late last year, Waldron, from Smiths Creek near Murwillumbah in the Tweed, pleaded guilty in the court to three counts of possessing child abuse material and two counts of soliciting child abuse material.
The court heard he described himself online as a “law-abiding paedophile” because he did not directly act on his sexual attraction to children.
But Waldron was found with 2117 child abuse pictures and 132 videos of children aged four or five, the court heard. One child in the material was an infant.
He was due to be sentenced on December 13, but the court waited for necessary reports, including a psychological assessment.
Tests concluded Waldron has pedophilic disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and bipolar disorder, as well as autism spectrum disorder, court documents show.
However, the court heard on April 13 that autism, in particular, was not linked to offending.
“Not everyone with autism looks at child porn,” psychologist Jason Volovski told the court.
Waldron claimed his “moral compass had shifted” a year before his arrest.
But the court heard he had been seeking abuse material on the dark web and in child sex offender chat rooms six months before he was apprehended.
But the court heard Waldron had not minimised his illegal actions and had been abusing alcohol and cannabis before his arrest.
Mr Volovski said Waldron continued to use cannabis but lessened his drinking.
He said punishment alone would not stop Waldron from reoffending.
“He did make attempts to cease but relapsed when he came across (child abuse) material,” the psychologist said.
“They’re not conscious decisions (to look at child abuse material).”
The court heard Waldron, described as being of low to medium risk of reoffending, presented as “very immature” for a 29-year-old man and that social isolation due to poor mental health was a factor in sentencing.
Mr Bolt, representing Waldron, told the court jail-time would be “inappropriate” and he requested a sentence focused on rehabilitation.
“We ask that his mental health issues be taken into account,” he said.
“Growing up he was bullied and became socially withdrawn … which led to exposure and corruption of child sex abuse material.”
Mr Bolt argued Waldron would be a “target” if incarcerated.
Waldron accepted he needed to undertake various forms of treatment, the court heard.
Mr Bolt said his client’s prohibition from using the internet and smart devices while on bail was a “significant punishment”.
“His social life was entirely online,” he said.
The court heard Waldron’s father had been at Gold Coast University Hospital and Tweed Hospital undergoing treatment for medical conditions, including a heart attack.
Mr Bolt asked the court to consider Waldron’s social isolation, immaturity and the psychologist’s report.
But the prosecution pointed to the importance of deterrence – and working to stop sharing and “a market” around child abuse material.
Waldron solicited videos and pictures, asking for a price.
“That normalises child abuse,” the prosecution told the court.
“Social isolation and becoming involved in the dark web was his choice.”
Judge English adjourned Waldron’s sentencing to May 5 and his bail was continued.
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