Lake Heights man Graham Cook allegedly sent sexually explicit to ‘teen’ in UK

A man allegedly sent “grossly inappropriate” messages for sexual gratification to who he thought was a teen living in the United Kingdom.

An Illawarra man has been refused bail after he allegedly sent “grossly inappropriate” and “explicit” messages for sexual gratification to who he thought was a teen living in the United Kingdom.

Graham Cook, 60, applied for release in Wollongong Local Court on Friday after AFP Child Protection Operations officers arrested him at his Lake Heights home.

The AFP alleges Cook used social media to engage in conversations with who he believed was a 14-year-old boy in the United Kingdom, grooming him for sexual activity and transmitting child abuse material.

Cook was actually allegedly engaging with a police undercover operative.

In documents tendered to court, police allege Cook falsely claimed to be living in the UK and used a phone to access Skype and the Romeo app under the username ‘ianofaus’.

He allegedly sent private messages to the “teen” including images of an adult erect penis, initiated the idea to meet in person and prepared the boy to engage in sexual activities including sexual intercourse and oral sex.

Graham Cook was arrested at his home. Picture: AFP

He allegedly asked, “did you want to be f***** or do you want to f***”.

Cook allegedly sent the “teen” a message saying “you got dick pics?” before adding, “when we meet, help me get one of them, I am here for 6 months then back [in] Australia for 3 months then move here”.

He also allegedly asked, “have you ever sucked?”.

Cook’s arrest came after an investigation, which began when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation received a report from AFP’s London Post about an UK investigation, into an Australian man accused of engaging in online child sexual exploitation.

Police inquiries linked Cook to alleged illegal online activity.

A search warrant was executed at Cook’s home on Thursday where investigators allegedly found child abuse material and records of online communications with the “boy” stored on a computer.

The computer was seized for further forensic examination.

Graham Cook was arrested for alleged online child sexual exploitation. Picture: AFP

Cook was charged with using a carriage service to prepare or plan to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16 years of age; one count of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and failing to comply with reporting obligation.

In court, Cook’s lawyer Daryl Quirk submitted his client would agree to forfeit all electronic-capable devices so he could not communicate with anyone online.

Mr Quirk said there was no possibility for Cook to meet up with the “teen”, particularly because his parole conditions prohibited him from leaving the country.

Mr Quirk said Cook was a full-time carer for his brother who suffered from a heart condition, for which he received a carer’s payment.

The court heard Cook was on parole for similar offences from 2017 and was placed on the child protection register.

Mr Quirk conceded the case against Cook appeared strong.

Magistrate Chris McRobert said the communication initiated by Cook was “grossly inappropriate”, adding the messages were of an “explicit” serious nature from which Cook clearly derived “sexual gratification”.

Mr McRobert said one message sent from the “teen boy” indicated he was 14 and Cook responded “that’s not a problem”.

He said the prosecution had an “overwhelming strong case”, adding “conviction and imprisonment was near inevitable”.

The case was adjourned to April 17.