James Ronald Selby: Rugby Australia employee sentenced for child abuse material offences

A District Court judge has described graphic child abuse material found in the hands of a rugby executive embroiled in Australia‘s biggest online child sex abuse probe, Operation Arkstone, as “highly depraved”.

James Selby arrives at Downing Centre Court for sentencing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

A disgraced former Rugby Australia strategist has been jailed over years of “pernicious” engagement with “highly depraved” child abuse material involving infants and toddlers.

James Ronald Selby, 43, was convicted of eight child abuse material offences after seven years of hideous child abuse material offending which is too vile to detail.

The former community rugby strategist was arrested in September 2021 after investigations revealed he was engaging with other people online to possess, solicit, and transmit child abuse material including videos, photos and sexualised conversations.

James Selby pictured as he leaves Downing Centre Courts earlier this year. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Selby ultimately pleaded to one count of child abuse material possession, using a carriage service to access child abuse material, four counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, one count of soliciting child abuse material through a carriage service, and one count of using a carriage service to produce child abuse material.

One video which was one minute and 13 seconds in length, and another which was five minutes and 38 seconds in length, constituted Selby’s most egregious offences.

The appalling material involved actual babies and toddlers, and fantasies of children aged up to 15.

It is otherwise too distressing and vile to be reported in any additional detail.

Judge Phillip Mahony sentenced Selby to four years’ imprisonment with a two-year non-parole period, backdated by 42 days to account for pre-sentence custody.

“The victims (in the videos) were subjected to depraved acts and cruelty, and the harm inferred is considerable,” Judge Mahony said.

“The physical and psychological harm remains with you for a lifetime.”

The court had previously heard Selby was a child abuse survivor himself, who resorted to deviant behaviours to avoid rejection, seek acceptance and please others.

His lawyer had submitted he turned to child abuse material in times of stress, particularly provoked by his employment.

“I don’t accept that he had no sexual interest in children,” Judge Mahony said on sentence.

“Notwithstanding that he was in a stable relationship at the time, I find his actions were motivated by a sexual interest in children.”

In reference to one of Selby’s final engagements with child abuse material prior to his arrest, Judge Mahony said Selby “expressed delight in the depravity” and physical pain caused to children through sexual abuse.

“It’s pernicious offending, exploiting the most vulnerable members of the community and feeds a worldwide market for this material,” Judge Mahony said.

“It is morally reprehensible.”

AFP officers first arrested Selby at his Surry Hills home on September 17 last year.

Selby worked with Rugby Australia as a community rugby strategist and was

immediately fired following his arrest.

In a statement released at the time, Rugby Australia said it “has been made aware that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged an RA employee with criminal offences”.

It continued: “The RA Board met and resolved to terminate the individual’s employment effective immediately.”

Last October, Selby was released on bail with strict conditions essentially banning him from the internet.

The conditions stated he could not go within 100 metres of a school, childcare centre or be left unaccompanied with a minor without another adult present.

Operation Arkstone, the AFP strike force that nabbed him in September, had been investigating Australian online networks of alleged offenders accused of abusing children before sharing it online.

During the operation, the AFP have saved 56 children and 11 dogs.

They’ve arrested 26 Australian men aged between 20 and 48 years old, all charged with viewing, sending or receiving child abuse material and some also charged with actual abuse.