William Ruming: Batemans Bay man convicted of possessing child abuse material has sentence quashed

A South Coast husband convicted of possessing child abuse material has been resentenced after a local court magistrate realised his community-based sentence was “contrary to law”. Find out why.

A Batemans Bay man convicted of possessing child abuse material has been resentenced after a local court magistrate realised his community-based sentence was “contrary to law”.

Father of two William Ruming was sentenced at Batemans Bay Local Court on September 19 after his wife uncovered a cache of explicit images and messages on her husband’s phone in August 2021.

Ruming’s wife was using the flashlight function on her husband’s phone when she made the discovery, which included messages from a group chat titled “family enthusiasts” and a user named “pantie man”.

In conversations recorded in police documents, the 36-year-old former Sanctuary Point and Surfside man received multiple images, including of pre-pubescent girls posing or engaged in sexual acts.

Appearing before the same court only a week later, Magistrate Doug Dick told Ruming he had been wrong in sentencing him to a 12-month intensive corrections order, which was to be served in the community.

“It’s nobody’s fault but mine,” Magistrate Dick said.

William Ruming leaves Batemans Bay Local Court on August 22. Picture: Nathan Schmidt

“I should have been alert to this: ICO’s are not eligible for this type of offence.

“What I have sentenced you to is contrary to law, so that is quashed.”

Magistrate Dick told Ruming he had to consider resentencing Ruming to full-time imprisonment, after Ruming had returned to the South Coast from Southeast QLD, or to a harsher community sentence.

“It has to be done right,” Magistrate Dick said.

“The new sentence will be a community corrections order running for three years – the maximum.”

Ruming was also sentenced to 200 hours of community service, which will be increased to 400 hours.

A fine of $2000 was also removed, with conditions requiring Ruming to report regularly to Nowra police and to engage in psychological counselling remaining in place. Ruming said he had already had an appointment.

Ruming will remain in Sanctuary Point, south of Nowra.