Dustin Diplock sentenced for child grooming offence

A man who thought he was asking a teenage boy about pubic hair and porn searches on Messenger was busted only when undercover cops caught him out.

A man who thought he was asking a child, he described as “very mature” and “handsome”, about porn and pubic hair has been released from jail and ordered to undergo sexual offending counselling.

Former Peak Hill resident Dustin Diplock pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to groom a person under 16 for sex after he arrested by police from the Child Exploitation Unit’s Strike Force Trawler in December 2020.

Dustin Diplock spent almost 11 months behind bars. Picture: Facebook

According to court documents, the 39-year-old used Facebook’s messenger service to have a series of explicit conversations with police who were posing as a 14-year-old boy.

During the conversations Diplock said he had a spare room the boy could stay in.

“Your handsome sweet and nice guy … you a good guy and very mature … 14yo is not a kid your a young adult,” Diplock wrote in one of the messages contained in court documents.

“If I was about 20 years younger I’d be asking you out.

“I’m not asking you for sex or anything you know that don’t you.”

In other conversations Diplock asked the boy questions about his puberty.

“Has your hair grown in places?,” Diplock asked.

“When you search porn what do you search the most?

“Have you got a crush on anyone?”

When discussing an act too graphic to publish, Diplock told the boy it was “best to do it when your mum’s not around”.

Diplock has been remanded in custody for about 10 months and in the District Court at Dubbo he appeared via audiovisual link for sentencing from Sydney’s Parklea jail.

Dubbo District Court Judge Nanette Williams sentenced Dustin Diplock to a two-year term of imprisonment. Picture: Ryan Young

Defence lawyer Lucy Maher told the court police initiated the conversations with Diplock and he made no attempt to conceal his identity or start most of the conversations.

She said a medical report revealed Diplock was likely suffering with borderline personality disorder and post traumatic stress disorder when he engaged in the conversations.

The court heard Diplock had a history of drug and alcohol misuse and was on suicide watch in jail.

Prosecutor Leo McLaren disputed the doctor’s findings there was a “nexus” between Diplock’s mental health and his offending.

Judge Nanette Williams convicted Diplock and sentenced him to a 20-month term of imprisonment, backdated to when he entered custody on January 28.

Part of the sentence was suspended through a recognisance order, with Diplock allowed to be released after serving 10 months, paying $100 and agreeing to comply with a two-year good behaviour bond.

He must also attend at least nine session with a psychologist who is to provide sexual offending counselling.