Former Sydney NSW Police officer Mitchell Lucock awaits fate in Dubbo District Court after sending child abuse material

A former NSW Police officer denied being sexually attracted to children, despite sending Snapchat photos of a minor to a man, brushing it off as being “the thrill of the taboo”.

Mitchell James Maxwell Lucock faced Dubbo District Court on Monday. Photo: Supplied.

A former NSW Police officer denied being sexually attracted to children, despite sending Snapchat photos of a minor to a man, brushing it off as being “the thrill of the taboo”.

Mitchell James Maxwell Lucock faced Dubbo District Court on Monday for a sentencing hearing after previously pleading guilty to five counts of using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material and three counts of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material.

The court heard the 38 year old served as a leading senior constable for 17 years, temporarily filling in as a sergeant, and was based in the Sutherland Shire.

Lucock was arrested on November 20, 2023, after police found his conversations on Telegram and Snapchat, the court heard.

While Lucock pleaded guilty to the charges, the court heard there was a dispute over some of the facts of the offending given police could only see the text messages sent and not the content of the images.

Lucock was an officer for 17 years

The court heard Lucock messaged a 24-year-old UK man and expressed he was interested in children. The conversation involved sharing images between August and October, 2023.

Lucock, who is on bail, gave evidence and said he had been sent three photos of a fully-clothed woman aged between 18 and 20. The offender claimed he sent the man up to four photos of a 10-year-old fully-clothed girl which he deemed “suitable for public viewing.”

Lucock sent up to four photos to the man.

Lucock denied sending any nude photos of children, the court heard.

Under cross-examination, Crown prosecutor Edward McGinness told Lucock police stated he engaged in a conversation describing the sexual activity or sexual posing of children prior to sending the man three photos, which the offender denied.

Mr McGinness told Lucock he had admitted he had a sexual interest in children to his psychologist.

“I don’t believe that’s the intention of what he was trying to say,” Lucock said.

Lucock fronted Dubbo Court House.

Mr McGinness told the court one of Lucock’s messages read: “I have no limits as young as possible, girls make my c--k absolutely throb.”

When Mr McGinness asked Lucock if he obtained the images for sexual gratification, he said: “I would say it was more just the thrill of the taboo or the risk of it, rather than the actual content of what was in any such potential things.”

Lucock denied being attracted to children, describing his ex-partner’s bodies as being “develop-sized” not “childlike bodies.”

“I don’t walk down the street and look at children or find them attractive even to the point where my ex-partners have, for lack of a better word, had mature body shapes,” he said.

Mr McGinness said it was clear Lucock intended to solicit child abuse material, he was persistent in doing so and “down-played” the offending.

Lucock did not have a mental condition or deprived upbringing. On the contrary he was an officer who “very clearly knew the consequences of his actions”, Mr McGinness said.

“The offender was in a position of trust, he was a longstanding police officer and it was a breach of trust to the community,” he said.

Lucock’s lawyer Nicole Carroll said her client would not regain his employment as a cop and he will be restricted in society because he is on the child sex register.

The offender lost contact with his former colleagues, has gone through a divorce and does not have a criminal record, Ms Carroll said.

Lucock received a forklift licence and will continue attending therapy, she said.

The offender will be sentenced in February.