Christopher Goodman sentenced for procuring underage girls on Snapchat and possessing child abuse material

It was a shock discovery that came to light because of a prank call - a Newcastle man caught with child abuse material and procuring underage girls for sex on Snapchat.

Christopher Goodman was sentenced in Newcastle District Court on Tuesday. Supplied Amy Ziniak

It was a prank call that led police to a shocking discovery - officers arresting a man caught with child abuse material and asking underage girls for sex over Snapchat.

A triple-0 call was received by emergency services on February 21 last year claiming that two armed offenders were holding a family hostage and wanted to shoot police.

But the call was deemed suspicious because it was similar to a prank call made earlier that morning, according to police facts.

It led officers to the home of Christopher Goodman at Edgeworth, and while the 23-year-old was not implicated for making the prank calls, a search of his phone during an investigation uncovered more than police were expecting.

A court has heard a child abuse material video was found on his phone and, on further examination, it was also revealed that Goodman had been engaging with a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat in November 2022, asking the girl to be “friends with benefits” and making suggestive texts about what she was wearing.

Goodman engaged with underage girls on Snapchat. istock

The court further heard that between February 14 and February 21 last year, Goodman also engaged in sexualised conversations with two 13-year-old girls on Snapchat where he offered to pay for naked photographs and sex, asked if they were single and made comments on their photos including “I love you”, “hottie” and “cutie”.

On February 20, the 23-year-old was found to have had a conversation with a 12-year-old and asked if she wanted to have sex with him before it was shut down by the child.

A month later Goodman fronted Belmont police station with his support worker before he was arrested and admitted his guilt to officers.

In Newcastle District Court on Tuesday, the 23-year-old pleaded guilty to possession of child abuse material, procuring a child under 14 for the production of child abuse material and procuring a child under 16 for unlawful sexual activity.

Defence barrister Elizabeth McLaughlin said his offending was “short, unsophisticated” and involved repetitive child-like conversations.

She told the court Goodman was mentally impaired and had a social functioning age of a five year old.

Ms McLaughlin said he was a young man learning to change his behaviour and if he went into custody he would lose the extensive support he currently had to help with his “challenging behaviour”.

Crown Prosecutor Lee Carr agreed it would be of no benefit to Goodman or the community to place him behind bars, citing he wouldn’t get the treatment he seemed to be improving on currently.

Judge Peter McGrath agreed there was a connection between his offending and his mental health and cognitive impairment and believed time in custody would be more onerous.

He was spared jail time and sentenced to a two-year community correction order (CCO).