Wayne Downey to undergo therapy after child abuse material possession

A disgraced businessman whose deviant sexual urges led him to secretively download a trove of vile child abuse material will participate in therapy.

A disgraced north shore businessman whose deviant sexual urges led him to secretively download a trove of vile child abuse material as a “coping mechanism” has been all but assured a prison stay later this year.

The double life of convicted sex offender Wayne William Downey, 53, came crashing down last April when Australian Federal Police officers raided his St Ives home and uncovered more than 200 videos and images of child sex abuse on electronic devices including his mobile phone and a USB stick.

Wayne William Downey leaves court with his legal team. Picture: Gaye Gerard

The monstrous content included footage of toddlers and infants being raped by adults, with 14 videos classified as ‘category five’ material under the Child Exploitation Tracking System scale, which is described as featuring sadism, humiliation or bestiality. The agreed police facts outlined terms which featured on Downey’s internet search history since 2016, which NewsLocal has decided not to republish.

Downey pleaded guilty to the single charge of possessing child abuse material in December and is facing a maximum penalty of two years jail in the Local Court.

Downey’s barrister Kirk Dailly described his client’s “affliction” as inexcusable, but explained the material was used as a “coping mechanism” as he tried to suppress his “deviant sexual interests” following criminal convictions for child sex offences in the late 1980s and 1990s.

The 53-year-old man, currently living at Castle Hill, has pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Mr Dailly, who conceded Downey should be imprisoned for his behaviour, made an application for the sentence to be deferred for half a year to allow the 53-year-old man the opportunity to undergo therapy in a bid to control his urges.

The police prosecutor highlighted it had been almost a year since the arrest and Downey had only recently sought professional help for the first time, however Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson agreed to defer the sentence for 10 weeks.

“You are facing a full-time jail sentence,” she said. “These are serious matters. What I am doing is giving you the chance to do some rehabilitation before the sentence is imposed.”