Child killer Stephen Barry Bush sentenced for procuring teenage boy for sexual activity

The mother of a boy brutally murdered more than 40 years ago has welcomed the jailing of her son’s killer for his “abhorrent” and “depraved” attempts to procure another teenager for sex.

Sex crimes squad detectives arrest Wallsend man Stephen Barry Bush, 64, on July 6, 2023. He was later charged with using a carriage service to procure a child for sexual activity. Picture: NSW Police

A convicted child killer and sex predator has been jailed until at least 2027 over what a court heard was his “depraved” and “persistent attraction to underage boys and a desire to act on it”, after he was caught trying to procure a teenage boy for sex.

More than 40 years after he murdered one boy and indecently assaulted a second within a day in 1978, Stephen Barry Bush began a week-long “graphic” sexually-explicit conversation with a boy he believed was a 14-year-old he had met on gay dating app Grindr.

But instead of meeting “Benny”, to whom Bush had sent 20 explicit photographs while “normalising” sexual acts he wished to perform and engage in, the now 65-year-old was arrested on a suburban Newcastle street by specialist detectives who revealed the online sting.

Child Exploitation Unit investigators had taken on the persona of the non-existent “Benny”, with Newcastle District Court hearing on Friday that Bush had not initiated sexual conversations but had reiterated to “Benny” that he was old enough to make his own decisions.

Sitting in court were some family members of Darren Fisher, a 13-year-old boy Bush had lured from a Kurri Kurri church hall before murdering him and discarding his body behind a nearby clothing factory in 1978.

Wallsend man Stephen Barry Bush being led into Waratah police station following his arrest. Picture: NSW Police.

“Any sentence was never going to be enough but I’m glad I was still around to see him go back inside,” Darren’s mother, Nola, said afterwards.

Darren’s horrific murder came a day after Bush had indecently assaulted a 10-year-old boy, the crimes seeing him spend 16 years in jail before his release in the 1990s.

Darren Fisher, 13, was lured out of a church and murdered by Stephen Barry Bush on April 20, 1978 at Kurri Kurri.

In sentencing Bush on Friday for one count of using a carriage service to procure a child aged under 16 for sexual activity last year, Judge Peter McGrath mentioned the 1979 crimes and Bush’s “longstanding attraction to underage boys” when attempted to assess any prospects for rehabilitation.

Judge McGrath said the continued behaviour of Bush, now aged 65, showed his “persistent attraction to underage boys and a desire to act on it.”

He noted Bush’s excuse for continuing the sexually explicit conversations knowing “Benny” was aged 14 was because he was bored on his disability pension and allowed a 25 per cent discount for the pedophile’s early guilty plea.

Convicted killer Stephen Barry Bush, who was arrested by Strike Force Trawler investigators at Wallsend in 2023. Picture: Facebook.

The court heard Bush would find a jail term onerous because he was deaf.

Following his release from jail in the 1990s, Bush remained on the child protection register before engaging with “Benny” in July last year.

Court documents detailed that Bush told the fictitious male child, “don’t be shy, I don’t bite” and said he was aged 40.

On July 2, Bush sent a dozen explicit photos of a male or himself in sexual poses or engaged in sexual activities, according to police facts.

He also contacted the boy via text message, asked for inappropriate photos and made sexually explicit comments towards him.

Police facts stated that on July 5, Bush suggested the two meet up and said “try your first time” before the following day they arranged to meet.

But when Bush went to an agreed location, he was instead met by arresting police near a Wallsend service station and taken into custody.

Defence barrister Gillian Jewison said although Bush had engaged in the conversations and sent photographs, her client did not make any attempt to disguise his identity, did not issue any threats nor incentives such as drugs or money to lure the boy.

Judge McGrath sentenced Bush to a maximum five years in jail on the procurement charge, with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years.

With time already served, Bush will not be eligible for parole until January 5, 2027.