Kanwal: Convicted pedophile Mark Ginn jailed after using Roblox currency for online abuse

A pedophile from the Central Coast used currency from the popular online game ‘Roblox’ to coax young girls to sexually abuse themselves for videos. Hear his sentence from court.

Mark Ginn used currency from the online game Roblox to make children sexually abuse themselves.

A convicted pedophile from the Central Coast has been given a 10 year jail sentence after using currency from the online game Roblox to coerce young girls into sexually abusing themselves.

Mark Anthony Ginn from Kanwal appeared via video link from Parklea Correctional Centre to be sentenced in Sydney District Court on Friday.

In August, he entered guilty pleas to three counts of possessing child abuse material with intention to be used by himself or another person, five counts of making child abuse material available using a carriage service, two counts of transmitting child abuse material using a carriage service, one count of soliciting child abuse material using a carriage service and one count of failing to comply with court orders.

An agreed set of facts tendered to the court revealed how police came to arrest Ginn and the extent of his offending between June, 2020 and March, 2021.

The facts state that in September, 2020 the FBI carried out a search warrant on a US man in relation to the production of child abuse material.

Ginn used the popular online game Roblox to lure his victims.

The man was arrested and indicted for child sexual abuse offences. During an interview with police he mentioned an Australian man he met over Snapchat during a conversation with a female he was trying to groom.

He told officers the man went by the alias “Keith Anderson” and was in a wheelchair.

“The pair traded online currency for a game Roblox,” the facts stated. “On one occasion Keith Anderson sent him $30 via PayPal for (the man) to purchase a Roblox game character for him.”

The US man gave the Australian man access to a Mega.nz storage account by the name “evil gurl” in May 2020.

“Keith Anderson” told the American man he would groom pre-pubescent females online and record them committing sexual acts on themselves via Snapchat. He would then forward them onto him to upload to their shared account.

The facts stated that Snapchat records connected “Keith Anderson” to Mark Ginn from the Central Coast of Australia.

Mark Ginn, 34, lived with his mother at a house on Phyllis Ave, Kanwal, before he was arrested by Australian Federal Police for online child abuse. Picture: Google

In March 2021, members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) child protection team attended a house in Kanwal and seized Ginn’s Apple iPad.

His email account revealed that he had logged into the Snapchat account over various dates in March 2021 and August and April 2020.

“A review of the iPad revealed child abuse material offences,” facts stated.

Ginn was arrested and charged with the offences before the court and a six month forensic review of his iPad was conducted with 66 videos found.

The AFP identified an ongoing conversation between Ginn and a Snapchat account belonging to a girl aged 8-10 in June and July, 2020.

Ginn spoke to victims over Snapchat using the alias “Kevin Anderson”.

“The accused offers to purchase or give various Roblox characters for use in the online game Roblox in exchange for videos of (the victim) performing various sexual acts upon herself,” the facts read.

One conversation read –

Ginn: “What are you doing? Why are you not asleep yet?”

Victim: “Cus I can.”

Ginn: “Fair enough, come play Roblox.”

Victim “OK”

After some back and forth Ginn asks “wanna make a deal? I’ll buy the ferret and I’ll call you everyday so you can see it and watch it play”.

Victim: “OK”

Ginn: “If you make videos so I can see your p***y properly”.

Victim: “OK”

The victim sends a video and then Ginn asks for further videos of more serious self abuse in exchange for a photo of his “d”.

“I’ll show you my d**k after a few more videos”.

Roblox is a multiplayer online game. Picture: Rafael Henrique

The facts stated that videos of this victim were uploaded to the shared storage account. The videos showed the victim reclining on her bed performing acts of sexual abuse.

The facts also revealed that Ginn targeted sisters from the US, one aged 8-10 and the other 7-9.

When one of the sisters asks him to get an “adopt me pet” from Roblox, Ginn asks her to take a video “so I can watch you take your clothes off”.

“How many more?” the victim asks.

“Can you please show your ass and try to twerk. Where’s your sister?”

The sisters engaged in sexual acts with each other at Ginn’s request.

Between November 2020 and February 2021, Ginn communicated with a girl aged 8-10 from Scotland over Snapchat and told her he was a 12 year old boy.

Ginn‘s victims were girls aged between 7 and 10 from the US and Scotland.

He asked her if she has a Roblox “parrot” before saying “can you please do the splits naked so I can see your whole body?”

The facts state that of the 66 files uploaded from Ginn’s IP address, three were classed category three child abuse and 61 were category one.

The AFP also identified conversations with other males online where Ginn sends them images and videos of his victims. He sent 20 videos to one account in March 2021.

The facts stated that in 2016 Ginn was jailed after being convicted of two counts of possessing child abuse material and three counts of using a carriage service to access child porn. He was sentenced to two years and two months with a non-parole period of one year and three months.

On Friday Judge Donna Woodburne told the court she would be “required to deal with” a call-up matter for Ginn breaching past reporting obligations in 2018.

“It would seem to me that unless I am persuaded to make no order … to impose a sentence for six months to commence from the date of arrest,” Judge Woodburne said.

“There is a distinct criminality in failing to comply with reporting obligations … it is important there be deterrence.”

Ginn appeared by video link from Parklea Correctional Centre at Sydney District Court. Picture: Nikki Short

Judge Woodburne told the court Ginn was “involved [with] multiple failures to comply” over an 11 month period.

“[He] was well aware of his reporting obligations … such deliberate disregard … exhibits poor insight,” she said.

In addressing Ginn’s latest charges, Judge Woodburne said the “offending involved planning” and she was “satisfied” the 34-year-old “engaged” with the victims “for the production of child abuse material”.

She continued by highlighting the “corruption” of children involved with the offences.

Judge Woodburne told the court about Ginn’s “serious medical condition” resulting in “chronic” back pain and the 34-year-old being confined to a wheelchair.

However, she said this did not “prevent or impede” the offending but had made jail more onerous due to his “vulnerability”.

Ginn was sentenced to 10 years jail at Sydney District Court. Picture: Nikki Short

This was “compounded” with PTSD suffered from Ginn seeing a fellow “inmate murdered with a sandwich press in 2017”.

Judge Woodburne said she was “not satisfied that [Ginn] is unlikely to reoffend”, despite accepting the 34-year-old’s efforts in attending programs in jail and committing to rehabilitation once released from prison.

“There is a paramount public interest in protecting children,” Judge Woodburne said.

“The sentence to be imposed … must make it clear … that these types of offences are abhorrent.

“In this regard the offender has prior convictions for similar offending which he received a custodial sentence [but it] did not deter him from re-engaging with further offending.”

Judge Woodburne continued saying “imprisonment is the only appropriate sentence”.

Ginn was given an overall sentence of 10 years from March 18 2021 to March 17 2031 with a non parole period expiring on March 17 2027.

In order for Ginn to be considered for parole, Judge Woodburne said he “should take advantage of any courses offered” during his time in custody.