Former Army, aviation worker Matthew John Smith, 57, avoids jail for possessing child exploitation material

A former army and aviation worker has learned his fate after downloading videos of children under the age of 14 engaging in sexual acts with adults.

A former army and aviation worker has avoided jail after downloading videos of children under the age of 14 engaging in sexual acts with adults.

Last month, Matthew John Smith, 57, was handed a suspended jail sentence for downloading child exploitation material.

In sentencing on January 14, Judge Carmen Matteo said Smith was brought to the attention of police in April 2022, who found the downloads on his phone and laptop.

She said detectives from the Public Protection Branch Special Crimes Investigation Section seized his Oppo phone and Lenovo laptop, which collectively contained 14 child exploitation files.

“Your possession of the 14 files across both devices constitutes the offence to which you have pleaded guilty. The offence is aggravated as all of the files depict children under the age of 14 years and you knew this to be the case,” Judge Matteo said.

“The investigating officer describes the material found on your mobile phone as involving very graphic images depicting very young children.”

Smith was found to have downloaded 14 child abuse files across his laptop and phone.

The court heard other files in the process of being downloaded were located on his devices, with titles “unquestionably referable to child exploitation material”.

Judge Matteo said Smith had, during a police interview, denied accessing the material and said he only used adult pornography sites.

“In sentencing you, I am really no better informed as to the circumstances in which you came to be in possession of child exploitation material or what drove your interest in such material as you have advanced no explanation to the court,” she said.

She said Smith had previously served in the army before being discharged with a knee injury in 1999.

“For the past eight years, you have worked as a machinist for an aviation company which provides services to the defence and aerospace sectors.”

She said Smith is married to a woman who lives in the Philippines, but has not seen her since 2021 due to the pandemic and she is unaware of his offending.

“Beyond the making of your plea, which evinces a level of remorse and contrition on your part, you have not demonstrated that you appreciate the wrongfulness of possessing material of the kind which was downloaded to your mobile phone and laptop,” Judge Matteo said.

She sentenced him to 11 months, 13 days in prison, but suspended it on Smith entering into a two-year, $100 good behaviour bond due to the small amount of files he possessed.

Originally published as Former Army, aviation worker Matthew John Smith, 57, avoids jail for possessing child exploitation material