Geoff Watts: Vietnam veteran’s sickening child abuse material stash

An elderly Australian Army veteran has been caught with a shocking stash of hardcore child abuse material along with a rifle in his Sydney home.

An elderly Australian Army veteran has admitted having a computer full of vile, hardcore child abuse material and an unauthorised firearm at his suburban Sydney home.

Geoffrey Watts, 74, fought for his country in Vietnam and rose to the rank of Corporal in the Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

His legacy is now marred by his disgrace as a court heard he would plead guilty to possessing at least 176 foul videos depicting the sexual assault of pre-pubescent children.

At Sutherland Local Court, Magistrate Jayeann Carney said the horrific material was uncovered on Watts’ computer after a raid at his Kogarah Bay home on Tuesday.

“The computer desk contained two handheld sex toys, a catheter, a tube of lubricant and used tissues,” Ms Carney read from the agreed police facts.

“(On the computer) appeared to be videos of pre-teen males engaged in hardcore sexual acts.”

Watts was depicted on television marching in the 2018 Anzac Day parade.

Only hours after he was charged Watts pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material and an unauthorised spring-loaded air rifle, which he said was a family heirloom.

Despite Legal Aid solicitor Mary Underwood’s representations, Ms Carney deemed Watts an unacceptable risk to the community and denied him bail.

“It is a horrific industry that makes money and profit from the exploitation of children locally and internationally,” Ms Carney said.

“He even explained the videos were for sexual gratification – he continued to provide a market for people who make money out of sexual abuse of children.”

Police confiscated a computer, USBs and external hard drives along with the rifle from Watts’ home.

Even in the earliest stage of their investigation police were immediately able to uncover stomach-churning evidence of Watts’ interest in vile, exploitative child abuse material involving adult men and juvenile, pre-pubescent boys.

Many of the details heard in court are too graphic and distressing to be published.

“This is not a victimless crime, this is a crime which he admitted to engaging in that bolsters the supply and sale of child abuse material online,” Ms Carney said.

“That’s a real child that has been co-opted, exploited and detained for the most egregious acts – I would find that a custodial sentence would definitely be likely.”

Ms Underwood told the court Watts suffers with heart issues and post-traumatic stress and receives a Totally and Permanently Incapacitated pension as an army veteran.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Vietnam War service records reveal Watts was part of the 101 Field Workshop from May 28, 1966 until June 14, 1967.

Photos on his social media show him marching in an Anzac Day parade in 2018.

Watts sighed heavily on the audiovisual link from Kogarah police station as he was refused bail.

He returns to Sutherland Local Court on March 2 after the Office of the Department of Public Prosecutions determines whether to take carriage of the case and prosecute it in the District Court.