Jay Beaton: Menai data administrator jailed for possessing 32 child abuse images, videos

A data administrator who went down a “rabbit hole” and downloaded a file containing 32 images and videos depicting horrific child abuse material has been jailed.

Jay Beaton has been jailed for downloading child abuse images and videos. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A data administrator has been jailed after he went “down a dark rabbit hole” when he downloaded a file containing 32 child abuse images and videos from a public website, a court has heard.

Jay Anthony Beaton, 21, pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material and possessing prohibited drugs and was sentenced to a 18-months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 12 months in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Agreed facts state on May 2, specialist police arrived at Beaton’s Menai home, where he lives with his mother, to execute a search warrant.

Police found Beaton in his bedroom and he initially denied possessing any child abuse material.

Officers located and seized his computer desktop and tower, which was in his name and found in his bedroom, along with other old laptops and computers.

Jay Beaton was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

Police also located 10g of cannabis in a clear airtight jar behind the desktop, which Beaton immediately made full admissions to possessing.

Officers left the house and examined the computers, which contained videos and images that “clearly constituted child abuse material”, documents stated.

Police said there were 32 images and videos of adults having intercourse with children aged between five and 10, young girls with their genitalia exposed and one girl, no older than 10, giving oral sex to an animal, the documents state.

The documents state the images were located in folders which also contained “selfie” style nude images of Beaton.

“There is no doubt as to the fact the accused possessed the videos and images,” the documents said.

Beaton was arrested at his home the next day.

In court, Mr Vijay said Beaton found the files online through the website 4chan where he “went down a dark rabbit hole” and was able to access a publicly available share drive and downloaded the files “to have a look” because he was “curious”.

Mr Vijay said Beaton “immediately deleted” the files upon seeing them but conceded he must not have completely removed the files from his computer.

He conceded at one point his client was in “control and possession” of the files but was not aware of they were still on his computer when he spoke to police.

Mr Vijay said his client had “no idea” how naked selfie images of himself ended up in the same file but maintained he did not share them with anyone.

The court heard Beaton suffered from depression and had sought ongoing counselling, with a psychological report assessing him as a “low risk” of reoffending.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly took into account the categorisation of the images which was “the worst of the worst”, that there were 32 victims with actual children used in the production of the images and videos.

Mr Donnelly noted Beaton’s age, lack of criminal history and his fragile mental state but determined a jail sentence was the only appropriate sentence.

He will be eligible to apply for release to parole on July 17, 2024 and was also fined $400 for the drug possession offence.

Mr Vijay lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence which will be heard in District Court.

Mr Donnelly refused to grant bail because he did not believe a District Court judge was likely to impose a community correction order on appeal given the type of images downloaded.