Army soldier Jackson Wood pleads guilty to sending masturbation video, testicle photo, on Snapchat
A Darwin soldier fronted court in Canberra on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to sending masturbation videos to other defence force members
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An Australian Army soldier had an unexpected “change of heart” on the first day of his trial on Wednesday and admitted to sending a masturbation video and a photo of a man’s testicles to fellow army members.
Corporal Jackson Wood faced a Defence Force Magistrates Court hearing in Canberra on Wednesday where he performed an about-face and pleaded guilty to three counts of using a carriage service to cause offence.
After a failed application to adjourn the proceedings — which were expected to run for three days — Corporal Wood admitted to sending three lewd messages on mobile app Snapchat.
The first, on April 26 last year, was a picture of a man’s exposed legs.
The second and third messages, which were sent to a second victim, were a masturbation video and a picture of a man’s legs and testicles.
Corporal Wood was a member of the 1st Combat Engineers Regiment based at Robertson Barracks in Darwin when he sent the messages, which he admitted on Wednesday would have caused outrage or disgust to their recipients.
Corporal Wood’s defending officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Berkley, said he had prepared to defend the case but that the junior soldier had “a change of heart”.
The soldier and Lieutenant-Colonel Berkley appeared on video link from Darwin because the Northern Territory’s borders remain closed.
Lieutenant-Colonel Berkley told the court Corporal Wood had been suspended from the army.
Defence Force Magistrate Commander Gregory Sirtes SC took Corporal Woods though a lengthy explanation of the offences he had pleaded guilty to, and said he accepted the soldier’s guilty pleas.
Precise details of the case were not aired in court on Wednesday, with lawyers sent off to negotiate the final account of the facts on which Woods will be sentenced.
He faces a range of potentially stiff consequences, including jail time, a stint in military detention, dismissal, a fine, or a reprimand.
Commander Sirtes will sentence Corporal Wood on Thursday.