James Kendall Newton to be sentenced for grooming mother and child in covert online sting
In an online covert sting, a Newcastle man was caught out chatting with a woman – a NSW Police detective – about trying to sexually abuse her nine-year-old daughter. Read the details.
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A Newcastle man took the bait and started talking to a woman online, only to try and groom her into sharing her nine-year-old daughter which he talked of plans to sexually abuse.
James Kendall Newton, 42, from Mayfield was caught out in a covert sting when he began chatting to the 36-year-old online via ChatIB and Skype in September 2022, who was in-fact a NSW Police detective.
Police facts stated conversations with the woman, posing as a single mother, quickly turned sexual when he tried to convince the mother to engage in sexual activity with the fictitious child and also with each other.
Using the name ‘Real4Real’, court documents said Newton told the mother he was “very open minded” and liked “moms and daughters” and wanted the three of them to “hopefully make it a real relationship”.
Newton frequently referred to the young child as “princess” and suggested they should all be naked in bed together.
Police facts said Newton also sent messages about making his fantasies real and sent explicit photos of himself urging the mother to show it to the child.
The last message he sent was on December 12 before he would be arrested months later.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad pounced and raided his Mayfield home in February last year.
They seized two smart phones, a tablet and a laptop which uncovered two videos containing child abuse material.
Following forensic examination, police also uncovered that on December 18 Newton engaged with two other users on chat apps KIK and ChatIB to be sent “previews” of child abuse material, according to police facts.
Court documents said on one occasion he entered into an agreement to pay 30 British pounds in exchange for child abuse material, while arranged to be sent a “mega link” of child abuse videos.
The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material to himself and using a carriage service to procure a person under 16.
In Newcastle District Court on Tuesday, Newton appeared via video link as his defence barrister argued his offending was of reasonably short duration and didn’t persist before being arrested some months later.
The court heard alcohol had been a “central feature” in Newton’s life and his substance abuse had affected his cognition and mental health, with his lawyer urging Judge Peter McGrath to make a finding of special circumstances.
He also told the court his client didn’t display a “pedophilia deviancy” but rather was aroused by the vulnerability of circumstances.
The Crown Prosecutor said the court should disregard the notion of him being “blackout drunk” at the time of the offending because he returned to the conversation on multiple occasions and was clear about who he was speaking to.
She also mentioned that his offending included engaging with two individuals and an offer of payment for child abuse material.
Newton will be sentenced on Thursday.
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