Grant Harden: Child sex offender to be sentenced, Operation Arkstone

New details have emerged of the sickening abuse committed by a soccer coach who filmed a number of the grotesque acts and traded it as “currency” on a global paedophile network, a court has heard.

New details have emerged of the sickening sexual abuse committed by a soccer coach, who filmed a number of the grotesque acts and traded it as “currency” on a global paedophile network, a court has heard.

Grant Harden, 31, of St Clair, pleaded guilty last July to 179 charges relating to the sexual abuse of seven young children, including filming and sharing the material in a global network, often in return for videos described in court as “sexual torture”.

Grant Harden will return to court for sentencing on Monday.

In Downing Centre District Court on Monday, crown prosecutor Sara Gul highlighted how one of the child victims who was abused during sleepovers was a toddler.

The court heard the abuse of six of Harden’s seven victims was filmed and used as “currency” to share with people on the internet almost daily.

It heard one image depicted one of Harden’s victims in a bath, another was in a shower and many were either unwilling to engage in the abuse or were asleep at the time.

Ms Gul said Harden “went out of his way” to advertise the material as a bargaining chip to receive images and videos from others.

“It is almost impossible to conceive of more horrendous, more abhorrent, more depraved child abuse material, particularly of some infants and toddlers,” Ms Gul said.

“In respect to the material he made himself … all of the children have had images sent over the internet that could remain in the hands of other people forever. All of them will grow up having no control over the fact … they have been sent to strangers all over the world that are unable to be controlled in any way.

“This will loom over their lives forever.”

Harden would share child abuse material on social media application Snapchat. Picture: Facebook

Ms Gul described Harden’s abuse as the “highest level of offending which requires the highest level of punishment”.

Earlier in court, Harden admitted during cross-examination to giving melatonin to at least two of his victims before abusing them, but he said the prime motivator for giving them the tablets was to help them sleep better. The court heard he bragged to other paedophiles about giving sleeping medication to the victims.

On Monday, Harden’s defence lawyer Pauline David said it was her client’s submission he didn’t use the sleeping pills to aid his offending and the fact that many of the victims were asleep was “better for the child” as they weren’t aware what was happening.

She also said when one child “made some noise of discomfort” he would change what he was doing.

“That does not always happen in these types of cases,” she said.

“He was responding to his own urges, there’s no doubt, but there was some level of protection of the child from the excesses of his behaviour. I’m not suggesting at all that he protected the children but there were some limitations to the excesses of his behaviour.”

Ms David said Harden “wants to be a normal man” but has a terrible disease which he is willing to treat.

The court had previously heard Harden groomed his victims after forming close relationships with them and often their parents. He would bribe children with gifts and rewards in video games in exchange for “sexual favours”.

Under the Snapchat username “Baddad03,” Harden would send videos of his assaults and had a PIN-protected folder on his phone called “really sick stuff” with more than 3000 images and videos of child abuse material.

The court heard Harden only stopped the sickening abuse because he was caught by police and that he exchanged child abuse material with 148 Snapchat users in the four days before his arrest.

Ms Gul argued his remorse wasn’t genuine and told the court he “said all the right things” to his psychologist and police but that during cross-examination he admitted his primary interest in not offending again was to “not put his family through a similar ordeal”.

She said the impact on his victims was secondary.

Grant Harden on his arrest. Picture: AFP

Referring to Harden’s words on how he felt at the time, she noted during cross-examination he still believed at least one child was genuinely enjoying himself during the offending and “went as far as to quite literally say the child was asking for it”.

“Realistically it seems he actually did struggle to fathom the actual effect on his victims, despite being asked repeatedly what the effects would be,” she said.

“He admits he still has sexual attraction to children even now.”

Ms David argued that his admission of his ongoing attraction to children reflects the opposite of what the prosecution claimed and in fact showed his honesty and openness towards seeking rehabilitation.

“In terms of his attitude to child one, the offender did say ‘I made it seem like a fun and enjoyable experience’ but he said he should never have been put in that position,” she said.

“One day he will be released and he wants to seek help. He is very genuine in his remorse.”

Ms David said he had gained increasing insight into the community he was once a part of which traded the abhorrent child abuse material online and acknowledged how wrong it was to be involved.

“He has been contrite and responded in every way, trying to give something back but knowing nothing he can do can overcome what he has done,” she said

Harden will return to Downing Centre District Court for sentencing on April 21.