Mohamed Mouhajer: Court allows confessed child abuse downloader back online

A twin from Bankstown, who has admitted to downloading child abuse images, has been allowed back online by a court to see his psychologist.

A southwest Sydney man who has pleading guilty to possessing and sharing child abuse material will be allowed to use the internet to meet with his psychologist, a court has heard.

Mohamed Mouhajer, 25, appeared in Campbelltown District Court on Friday via video link wearing a black suit and tie beside his lawyer Joseph Giang-Nguyen, after pleading guilty to possessing child abuse material and using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material to himself in July.

Three charges including two counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material, and one charge of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child abuse were withdrawn.

Senior federal prosecutor Rory Macken told the court some of the 5005 downloaded images depicted children thought to be as young as three.

Mohamed Mouhajer will be sentenced later this month.

Fourteen children were depicted in the images of abuse, he told the court.

He told the court there was no option but to sentence Mouhajer to full-time custody.

Mouhajer’s barrister Malcolm Ramage QC told the court his client, despite downloading images, was “highly unlikely” to directly molest children and had shown remorse for his offending.

He told Judge Christopher O‘Brien his client’s strict bail conditions needed to be varied to allow him to use the internet to meet with his psychologist on Monday.

“The process of contacting the psychologist is at this stage over the internet,” he told the court.

“Unless there’s a bail variation he can’t continue the process of rehabilitation.”

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Judge O’Brien agreed to allow Mouhajer to use the internet for the appointment.

Mouhajer’s bail conditions say he must not go within 50m of a school, childcare or playground.

He is also not allowed to use a mobile phone or laptop with an internet connection and must reside in a home in Bankstown and inform police within 24 hours if he wishes to move. He is not allowed to leave NSW.

Australian Federal Police raided a Campbelltown home in September 2020 and seized multiple devices including mobile phones and laptops, before arresting Mouhajer.

Judge O’Brien will sentence Mouhajer on October 29 in Campbelltown District Court.