Xavier Bouletare sentenced for possessing child abuse material ‘to make memes’ in Mittagong

A man has been sentenced for possessing more than 50 child sex abuse images, which he claimed he used to ‘make memes’ for Twitter.

A man has escaped a prison sentence after been sentenced for possessing more than 50 child sex abuse images — which he used to make memes for Twitter.

Xavier Bouletare, 25, appeared in Moss Vale court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of possessing child sex abuse material in October last year.

Court documents revealed police received a tip-off that the Mittagong resident has child sex abuse images in his possession in August. After investigating, officers executed a search warrant on Bouletare’s home in Mittagong early on the morning of October 20.

Xavier Bouletare avoided jail after admitting to possessing child sex abuse material. Picture: Adelaide Lang

During the raid, the police facts show officers seized a number of electronic devices, including a laptop, a mobile phone and a number of USB devices. Police found more than 50 child sex abuse images.

The police facts state there were no less than 10 images classified as Category One on the Interpol Baseline System — meaning they show a real child under 13 years old with a focus on genitals — and no less than 40 images classified as Category Two — depicting a child under 16 years old in sexual activity, including animation.

The photos included images of naked children and animated images known as hentai.

The court heard the images were not the worst examples of their categories.

Bouletare’s lawyer Brian Hanrahan told the court the “children were clothed but suggestive” in a number of the images.

Bouletare told officers he used the Category Two images to make memes for Twitter.

“He knew what he was downloading, he uploaded it to Twitter,” Mr Hanrahan said.

“He’s stated he’s disappointed and embarrassed.”

The court heard Bouletare was arrested on his first day of work as a kitchen hand at a religious retreat in Mittagong when he was arrested for the offences.

Xavier Bouletare appeared in Moss Vale court on February 21. Picture: Adelaide Lang

Despite the “very, very serious charges”, Magistrate Mark Douglass agreed the images were towards the “bottom end of the range, in terms of subject matter and numbers”.

He determined to take the “unusual step” of placing Bouletare on a community corrections order for the offences – but did so with a warning.

“If this behaviour was to be repeated, the court would view it as being very serious,” Magistrate Douglass said.

He places Bouletare on an 18-month community corrections order with supervision.