Gary Jones jailed after pleading guilty to procuring a girl, 14, online that turned out to be cops
A Central Coast man, who posted an ad online as a sugar daddy looking for a sugar baby, offered police posing as a teenage girl, $100 for oral sex in his car and sent an image of his genitals.
Newcastle
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A court has heard a Central Coast man, who was looking for a sugar baby online, started to engage in sexually explicit conversations with police officers who were posing as a 14-year-old girl.
He told the court he believed it was “fantasy” and he was dealing with an adult who was just “role playing”.
Garry Allan Jones, 63, pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to procure a child under 16 for sexual activity after being arrested by Strike Force Trawler detectives at Westmead in July last year.
It followed a month-long investigation, as the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit began engaging with the Hamlyn Terrace man in an online sting, where he believed he was speaking with the teenage girl.
The court heard Jones posted an advertisement to a website as a sugar daddy, before over June and July in 2020, he began chatting online to who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, sending her up to 100 messages sexual in nature.
Those included him sending an image of his erect penis, telling the fictitious teen how to engage in sexual activity, offering her $100 to engage in oral sex in his car and asking her to keep their conversations a secret.
He also made arrangements to meet up and drove to the meeting place before being arrested by police who found Viagra tablets on him.
Police also seized two laptops, two phones and multiple electronic storage devices following a search of his home.
In Newcastle District Court on Thursday, Jones gave evidence saying he knew it was wrong, and during his four month stint in custody before being released on strict conditional bail, realised the gravity of his offences.
“It was abhorrent and I see how dangerous and stupid it is and the damage it can so,” Jones told the courtroom.
When asked by Crown solicitor April Ransen if he was sexually attracted to people under 16, he replied, “no”.
The Crown also rejected evidence from his treating psychologist there may have been a causal link to his offending regarding his mental illness and depression, and that the “lines were blurred” at the time.
Judge Mark Williams SC said on sentencing Jones showed “heartfelt” evidence acknowledging his shame and remorse, and he accepted there was a low risk of reoffending.
“There was no taking advantage of a position of trust, there was absence of a victim, the period of communication was one month, there was no threat, pressure or coercion and it was reasonably unsophisticated,” Judge Williams said.
Jones was sentenced to 12 months jail but ordered to be released after four months, time already spent in custody, which means he’ll be on a good behaviour bond for the remaining eight months.
He will also have to undergo a mental health treatment plan.
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