Elijah Ezra Kember in Taree court for possessing child abuse material, grooming and preying on 15-year-old girl
A Taree man who groomed a vulnerable teen, sexually abusing her on multiple occasions, was found with a stash of extreme child abuse material – some depicting torture.
Mid-North Coast
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A Taree man groomed a vulnerable teenage girl, sexually abused her on multiple occasions and was found with a large stash of extreme child abuse material when police investigated.
On one occasion in July last year, Elijah Ezra Kember took the 15-year-old girl to get her belly button pierced at Forster, signed a parent/guardian form and later took her to a nude beach where they had unprotected sex.
The 42-year old is currently behind bars, remanded in custody at Mid North Coast Correctional Centre at Kempsey.
He pleaded guilty to a range of offences when he faced Taree Local Court via audiovisual link on Monday. The case was adjourned to Taree District Court on October 3.
Kember will be sentenced for grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity, possessing child abuse material and two counts of having aggravated sexual intercourse with a child.
An aggravating factor of Kember’s offending is that the victim lives with a mild intellectual impairment, according to court documents.
Prior to the Forster offending, the girl contacted Kember and asked him to buy her cigarettes.
Kember told the girl she would have to have sex with him first, police state in the documents.
They arranged to meet at soccer fields at Wingham, where he had a key to the toilets due to his employment.
Kember was arrested at work on August 25 last year and he initially told police the victim told him she was 18.
Police then found hundreds of child abuse photos and videos on his phone and laptop – some within the most extreme categorisation, depicting torture and violent attacks.
Kember also had material involving bestiality and necrophilia.
The court has been told officers found bookmarks to “child erotica” and that Kember was using “military grade” data encryption.
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