Killarney Vale: Craig James Fisher pleads guilty to online grooming

A 56-year-old Killarney Vale man had “too much time on his hands” when he started prowling internet chat rooms talking to the “wrong people” and got carried away, a court has heard.

A man faced Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of procuring a child under 16 for unlawful sexual activity, inciting a sexual act towards a child under 10 and inciting a child to sexually touch another person.

Craig James Fisher, 56, of Killarney Vale, appeared via video link where his solicitor entered guilty pleas on behalf with a further five charges, including inciting the production of child abuse material, two counts of inciting sexual acts towards a child and two counts of inciting a child to sexually touch another person were placed on a Form 1 certificate to be taken into account when he is sentenced.

An agreed set of facts states police from the Child Exploitation Internet Unit assumed the online identity of a 36-year-old woman who had a nine-year-old daughter.

Fisher thought he was talking to a 36-year-old woman who had a nine-year-old daughter. (File image)

On September 29 last year police logged into a social networking site where Fisher was using the username “ozziejoe”.

He introduced himself to police as “craig 54 from nsw” and the police introduced themselves as “jocie 36 from nsw”.

During the conversation the police assumed identity stated she had a nine-year-old daughter and Fisher asked if she had an email he could add her to a Skype chat.

Later he contacted her via Skype where he engaged in a sexually explicit conversation stating the things he would like to do to the mother and her daughter.

The facts state he also turned on the video and exposed his penis to her.

On October 1 Fisher again contacted the officer via Skype Chat and had another graphic conversation and again turned on the video function to expose his penis.

Fisher contacted the assumed identity via Skype Chat.

This occurred again on October 26 and November 5 when he asked if he could speak to the woman and her child on the phone.

On November 5 the police called Fisher on a number he provided and he asked if he could come to Sydney and meet her and her daughter.

On November 10 he had another Skype Chat conversation with the woman who said her nine year old daughter was present and he turned on the video function and masturbated himself.

On November 20 police attended Fisher’s Shortland Ave home where he was arrested and taken to Wyong Police station.

Fisher was taken to Wyong Police Station where he was interviewed and charged.

In a recorded interview Fisher agreed he had said much of what was discussed in the Skype Chats but “didn’t believe it was all real” and that it was just “like a fantasy chat thing”.

He denied being sexually attracted to children but conceded he had done the wrong thing because he “probably had too much time on (his) hands, living alone” and “with all the health problems I’ve got and things like that, you get lonely, just doing the wrong thing ... you talk to the wrong people”.

He told police he “got carried away with it”.

Fisher was adjourned to face Gosford District Court on December 16 to set a sentencing date.