The people guilty of online crimes in NSW
An eye-watering $20 million has been scammed from NSW taxpayers while other online criminals have been busted for sick crimes. Here are some of NSW’s worst online offenders.
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A staggering number of criminals have turned to the internet, often preying on the community’s most vulnerable.
It’s estimated about $20 million has been scammed from NSW taxpayers by fraudsters dishonestly claiming bushfire and COVID support grants – money destined for those in desperate need.
But not all online crimes are driven by greed.
Here are some of the NSW criminals found guilty for their online offences.
ZANE ALCHIN
A Caringbah labourer had already been found guilty of slut-shaming a female Tinder user online before he sent intimate images of an ex-girlfriend to another ex-girlfriend via Instagram.
Zane Alchin, 30, was also serving an intensive corrections order and forbidden from contacting one ex, HL, after destroying her property in a jealous rage, when he sent the photos of her to RM.
According to court documents, HL found out when RM contacted her.
“On December 29 (2018), HL received an Instagram direct message from RM saying ‘I thought you had the right to know Zane’s been sending me photos of you’,” the documents said.
“I’m not trying to start anything, it just pisses me off and you have the right to know.”
Alchin pleaded guilty in Sutherland Local Court to contravening an apprehended violence order and distributing intimate images without consent.
Magistrate Philip Stewart sentenced him to seven months’ jail for both charges.
In 2016, Alchin pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to menace or harass, after he slut-shamed and a female Tinder user on Facebook.
Alchin commented on a screenshot of a woman’s Tinder profile, calling the woman and her friends “f***ing basic sluts”.
“It’s people like you who make it clear women should never have been given rights,” he wrote.
“I’d rape you if you were better looking.”
Alchin was given a 12-month good behaviour bond for that offence.
TIMOTHY KEMP
A Telarah man arrived with condoms and personal lubricant to meet a 13-year-old girl he’d been grooming online for more than two months.
But Timothy Kemp, 36, was met at the train station by child abuse detectives who had been pretending to be the girl the entire time.
Detectives from Strike Force Trawler sent Kemp a friend request from the Facebook profile of the fictitious girl on March 3 last year.
According to court documents, Kemp and ‘the girl’ had their first sexual conversation just two days later.
“The offender said to (the girl) ‘maybe I should be your teacher as (sic) sex education’,” the documents said.
“I’ll even show you how to put a condom on a banana.
“Unless you wanna put one on mine.”
Kemp sent explicit messages and images to the girl over the next two months, acknowledging her age on at least two occasions.
“The offender stated ‘I’m 36 and you’re 13’ … ‘means I’ll be a pedo’,” court documents said.
“The offender further stated ‘I can teach you how to kiss, etc.’”
Kemp was arrested when he took the train to Waratah to meet the child.
He pleaded guilty in the District Court at Newcastle in December, to using a carriage service to procure a person under 16 for sexual activity, and using a carriage service to send indecent material.
He’ll be sentenced in July.
EMMALEE TAYLOR
An unemployed mother-of-two lied about running a cleaning business to illegally access a $10,000 bushfire support grant.
Edgeworth woman Emmalee Taylor applied for the grant through the Service NSW website in April last year, claiming to be affected by the Black Summer bushfires.
Court documents said she listed a Mid-North Coast address as her business location.
“Police can show that the address … is a residential address belonging to (a family) who do not know the accused,” the documents said.
“Furthermore, this property was not affected by the bushfire crisis 2019-2020 and there is no small business operating from this address.”
Toronto Local Court earlier this month heard the 29-year-old had a long criminal history including four other fraud offences.
She was serving a community corrections order for a driving offence at the time of claiming the grant.
“It’s greed and straight-out selfishness,” Magistrate Peter Barnett said.
“It’s just nasty, mean-fisted greed.”
Taylor pleaded guilty to obtaining financial benefit by deception, and was sentenced to a 12-month intensive corrections order and 200 hours of community service.
JOEL FERGUSON
A Harrington Park man used Gumtree to scam thousands of dollars through dodgy sales of dogs, cats and furniture.
Joel Ferguson, 25, would monitor the website for ‘wanted’ pet ads before posing as a breeder.
He used photos he found online to sell a French bulldog he never had.
He accepted $2000 for the sale.
On another occasion he accepted $700 for a ragdoll kitten.
The sale was made after he threatened legal action against the customer who wanted to back out.
On a third occasion he used Facebook Marketplace to receive $750 for furniture he never delivered.
Ferguson pleaded guilty in Campbelltown Local Court to 11 charges of dishonestly obtaining an advantage by deception, between October 2019 and July 2020.
He had an electronic monitoring anklet fitted after being sentenced to a 32-month intensive supervision order, with 16 months in home detention.
Ferguson was also ordered to undertake financial management courses, drug and alcohol testing and to see a psychologist.
RENEE PLUMMER
A Minto woman hacked dozens of Centrelink accounts in order to steal over $28,000 in support payments.
Renee Plummer, 40, gained access to the accounts of 35 victims, changing their bank details to redirect the money.
According to court documents, Plummer targeted people from right across the country.
Police found notebooks in her home filled with the names, dates of birth and Centrelink customer reference numbers of her victims.
The notebooks also contained dates for when the accounts were hacked and when the next payments were due.
Plummer also stole people’s identities to fraudulently open 21 bank accounts for the money to be paid into.
In total she scammed 58 payments worth $28,137, between November 14, 2016 and May 1, 2018.
Plummer pleaded guilty in Campbelltown Local Court to 35 charges of obtaining financial advantage by deception.
“The planning and sheer number of entities that were created held a particular seriousness,” Magistrate Ian Guy said.
Plummer was earlier this year sentenced to an 18-month intensive corrections order and home detention for 13 months including electronic monitoring.
JENNIFER GANDER
A Sutherland mum shared intimate photos of her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend on a fake Instagram account for the adult shop where she used to work.
Jennifer Gander, 44, also threatened the woman for weeks, repeatedly texting pictures and vile comments to her love rival.
“Just so you know the s**t will be beaten out of you … end of story skank,” Gander wrote, according to the documents.
“You are disgusting, sneaky, rude, disrespectful and just pathetic … enjoy your sex toys they will be the last gift you ever get.”
Gander was arrested after tormenting the woman during July and August 2019.
Her scheme came undone when Gander’s ex-partner stormed into the adult store where she used to work, asking why the intimate images of his girlfriend were on their Instagram.
A worker showed the man the account was fake, and pointed him to a second account Gander used to post a graphic image of the victim.
Gander pleaded guilty to 10 charges including distributing intimate images, using a carriage service to menace or harass, and intimidation.
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