Sydney teacher Brendan Burnett jailed for procuring teenage boys for unlawful sexual activity

A Christian high school teacher grooming young boys online was busted by an account set up to “expose pedophiles” run by a group of vigilantes acting in a similar vein to the US-based Colorado Ped Petrol.

Brendan Burnett was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Monday.

A Christian high school teacher has been deemed an “above average risk” of reoffending after being caught sending a 15-year-boy a barrage of sexually-charged messages including commenting about wanting to go to his Year 10 formal.

Now-sacked Broughton Anglican College teacher Brendan Burnett’s predatory behaviour was busted soon after when he was lured in by a “Ped Patrol”-style sting.

Burnett, 32, appeared in Sutherland Local Court from custody on Monday where he was sentenced to two years and nine months behind bars after previously pleading guilty to two counts of procuring a child for unlawful sexual activity.

The court heard the disturbed offending began in January when Burnett, of Miranda, added the 15-year-old on Snapchat before exchanging phone numbers.

Magistrate Phillip Stewart said the messages started as “casual banter”, but escalated to a highly-sexualised exchange where Burnett demanded the boy send naked pictures.

Brendan Burnett pleaded guilty to two counts of procuring a child for unlawful sexual activity. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Burnett said “I wish I could come to your Year 10 formal” before calling the victim his “teen boy” and how he liked boys between the ages of 13 and 18 whose “balls had dropped”.

Burnett told the boy about going to a sex club and how he wanted to write “daddy boy short stories” on gay erotic stories site Nifty.

The court heard the victim began feeling “overwhelmed” and stopped replying, however, Burnett kept looking for other minors to prey on.

Mr Stewart said Burnett started messaging an account set up to “expose pedophiles” on Daddyhunt — a platform for older men to chat to younger men over the age of 18.

The offender met the second person on Daddyhunt.

The court heard the account purporting to be of a 15-year-old was set up by an adult and used pictures of a 16-year-old involved in the vigilante operation.

This type of vigilantism is widespread on social media with Colorado Ped Patrol the most prominent example with their videos shared widely on platforms including TikTok and YouTube.

The fake account said “I’m 15 is that alright” to which Burnett said it was before moving the conversation to Snapchat.

Burnett arranged to meet the fictitious 15-year-old in Lane Cove where the 16-year-old spoke to the offender, asked him to buy some alcohol and drink with him in a nearby park.

The court heard they were sitting at the park when the adult who set up the account and others confronted Burnett.

“Why are you meeting up with a 15-year-old boy,” the adult said.

Burnett claimed “he was 18 on the app” before fleeing “scared” to the bathroom of a nearby hotel.

The court heard the group followed after him before security called police with the offender telling the cops they were calling him a “pedo” and demanding $1000.

Brendan Burnett spoke to the two people on Snapchat. Picture: Getty Images

Police found the offender’s bag in a bathroom bin with a change of clothes, including two pairs of underwear and a jockstrap, inside.

Burnett was taken to Chatswood Police Station where he told officers the person he was talking to said they were 19, adding he deleted the conversation off his phone because he was “stressed”.

When questioned about why he chucked his clothes in the bin, Burnett said he had been “sweating a lot”.

In court, Mr Stewart referred to a psychologist’s report which placed Burnett at an “above average risk” of reoffending.

The report stated Burnett felt “isolated due to his homosexuality” with the offending leading to “shame and embarrassment”.

Mr Stewart also called out Burnett’s assertions to the psychologist he did not know the people he was speaking to were underage given they had discussed their age with them.

“The agreed facts contradicts his claims he has no interest in post-pubescent boys,” Mr Stewart said while recounting messages Burnett sent including one about putting his penis down a “teen throat” and how “31 top (Burnett) and 15 bottom (victim) gets me hard”.

“His claims are blatantly false … there is no doubt he was aware of the age of the child,” he said.

With time already served, Burnett will be released on parole in December, 2025, with the full term to expire in November, 2026.

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