Geoffrey Appleby: Canberra man admits to having child abuse material stash
A Canberra man - whose social media accounts showed a bizarre interest in cartoons and toys - has admitted to accessing grubby child abuse material following a raid on his home.
Canberra Star
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A heavily overweight man who had an infatuation with childrens toys and cartoon memorobilia has admitted to a string of charges stemming from the discovery of child abuse material on his computer.
Geoffrey Robert Appleby, 44, of Higgins, has been behind bars for a fortnight, following a police raid on his home.
Appleby on Wednesday morning pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court to two counts of possessing child abuse material and one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material.
The hearing lasted only minutes, where the court was told investigations are continuing.
The task of sifting through computers, and categorising child abuse material typically takes months.
Following his arrest, ACT police said the raid on Appleby’s home also uncovered a hidden camera, the possession of which is not an offence.
No charges have been laid over the hidden camera.
The raid, by the joint anti-child exploitation team, is understood to have been prompted after online activity at Higgins’s house raised a red flag.
Magistrate Bernadette Boss told Appleby — who appeared by phone link from prison — that his next court date would likely see him committed to the Supreme Court for sentencing.
Appleby is likely to be sentenced late this year.
Appleby’s social media accounts — since deleted — showed a bizarre interest in childrens’ cartoons and toys.
Appleby returns to court at a later date.