Central Coast man Troy Sansom charged with accessing child abuse videos, pictures

A Central Coast man has allegedly been found with half a terabyte of child abuse material, some of which falls into the most heinous category. Here’s what happened when he applied for bail.

A Central Coast man has allegedly been found with half a terabyte of child abuse material, comprising several thousand images and videos, some of which fall into the most heinous category.

Earlier this month, detectives with the Sex Crimes Squad’s child internet exploitation unit began investigating 36-year-old Troy Sansom over his alleged accessing of child abuse material.

Detectives from Strike Force Glandore raided a home in Hamlyn Terrace, on the Central Coast, on Monday and uncovered a mobile phone that was seized for forensic examination before Sansom was arrested at a Mayfield address.

He was taken to Waratah Police Station and charged with seven counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material.

Family came to support Sansom as he faced Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday and made an application for release.

Sex Crimes Squad detectives arrest Troy Sansom. Picture: NSW Police

Police have alleged the 36-year-old accessed child abuse material through a number of email accounts attached to cloud-based software.

Upon investigation, it was allegedly discovered that those email accounts had been recently deleted and modified.

Troy Sansom was refused bail. Picture: NSW Police

But Sansom’s solicitor told the court he claimed his identity had been used to open those accounts.

She described her client’s explanation that they were made in his name, without his knowledge, as at least “plausible”.

Troy Sansom is arrested. Picture: NSW Police

She offered up a number of strict conditions for Sansom, who was said to have “really turned his life around in the last two-and-a-half years”.

These included residing at a Central Coast address, not having access to a mobile phone or any other device with the internet, and a $5000 surety.

But the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions opposed his bail, with a representative telling the court it was a strong case of a highly serious nature, allegedly involving children as young as four .

He also said Sansom had a history of non-compliance, was known to police in four jurisdictions, and posed a flight risk.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers said it appeared there was some strength to the case against Sansom, saying the nature of the images and videos were at the “highest end” and, if found guilty, the 36-year-old would receive a lengthy jail sentence.

Sansom was refused bail to return to court in November.

The court also heard detectives were continuing their investigation against Sansom and further charges were a possibility.