Troy Harris faces 10 years jail for allegedly sending indecent material to minor

A Macarthur man allegedly sent a picture of his genitals to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

A Macarthur man is facing four charges of using a carriage service to send indecent material to a 14-year-old.

Troy Harold Harris, 36, appeared in Picton Local Court via video link on Tuesday to apply for bail. Mr Harris is charged with four counts of using a carriage service to send indecent material to a person under 16 years old.

Police allege the Glen Alpine resident used a carriage service to send indecent material to a fictitious person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old on four occasions between November last year and June.

The court heard Mr Harris allegedly sent photos to the “underage” recipient, one of which showed “exposed genitals”.

Troy Harold Harris appeared at Picton Court House on August 24.

Mr Harris’s lawyer Rylie Hahn-Hamilton told the court her client was not a risk to the community because he had only allegedly engaged in one indecent exchange.

“There is no evidence of chats with any other underage people,” she said.

“There is no request for a meeting or any attempt to do so in any shape or form.”

Ms Hahn-Hamilton said Mr Harris was a “person of good character” with strong community ties. She argued his bail could prohibit him from being left alone with anyone under 18 years of age.

However, the court heard Mr Harris’s family situation increased the likelihood of having underage persons in his home. The police prosecutor emphasised the difficulty for police in ensuring Mr Harris was unable to be alone with minors or unable to access the internet.

“This type of offending is notoriously difficult to monitor on bail,” she said.

The court heard the prosecution was concerned Mr Harris would reoffend in a similar manner if he was granted bail.

Troy Harold Harris was arrested by the Child Exploitation internet Unit, a division of the NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad. Picture: Trevor Veale

“Any bail conditions the court might impose could not adequately mitigate the risk to the community,” the prosecutor concluded.

Magistrate Mark Douglass agreed it was “very difficult” to try to bar someone from using the internet.

He said the court was concerned about the risk Mr Harris may pose to “young people, who are quite vulnerable”.

“The nature of this particular type of offending is serious and sexual,” he said.

The magistrate determined there was an “unacceptable risk” of Mr Harris committing a further serious offence and refused to grant bail.