Tinder: James Stuart Logue, 29, to plead guilty to child sex crimes
A man who had a Tinder profile called ‘Sugar Daddy’ has faced court accused of using the dating app to shop around for underage girls in Thailand.
Canberra Star
Don't miss out on the headlines from Canberra Star. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Former Goulburn schoolteacher jailed after she molested student
- Flames ‘engulfed’ Army helicopter that ignited Canberra bushfire
- Tragic footage shows final moments of doomed bushfire plane
A man busted with child porn on his phone and who police allege used dating app Tinder to hunt for sex victims in Thailand will likely plead guilty when he returns to court next month, his lawyer says.
James Stuart Logue, 29, of Farrer in Canberra’s southern suburbs, fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday where he was hit with three fresh charges.
His lawyer, Paul Edmonds, said he was “reasonably confident” Logue would plead guilty in coming weeks.
“The parties are quite close to resolving the matter on the next occasion when it will be committed (to the Supreme Court) for sentence,” Mr Edmonds said.
Logue, who had a Tinder profile named “Sugar Daddy” and another named “James”, was arrested after a tip-off from the dating site to American authorities, who in turn informed Australian Federal Police.
The site raised the red flag when it came across a conversation in which Logue said: “I want child … find for me and I pay you and girl” and “I like small skinny girl … the younger she is the more money I pay”.
“I want child, I want sex with child,” Logue said.
Logue was in Thailand at the time and the unknown user he was chatting with said, “So you here just for sex travelling” to which Logue replied, “Yes”, according to court documents.
Another conversation, saw Logue — using the “Sugar Daddy” app — ask for a girl “under 18” and tell an unknown user “the younger, the more I pay”.
During an interview with police, Logue said his chats on Tinder were “more of a fantasy” and that he had began been looking at child porn “years ago” after police allegedly found it on his phone.
Logue also told investigators he travelled to Thailand but only “met some friends there to party”, according to a summary of his police interview in court documents.
Logue, a dual UK and Australian citizen, is charged with preparing for or planning to engage in child sex, using a carriage service for child abuse material, possessing of controlling child abuse material and encouraging a child sex offence.
Logue declined to comment outside court yesterday and shielded his face as he walked to his car.
He returns to court in February.