Gold Coast man Cameron Alister Conrad eligible for parole in less than a year after pleading guilty to making child exploitation material

A GOLD Coast man who preyed on almost 40 different children online to make child exploitation material will be eligible for parole in less than a year after pleading guilty to a slew of sickening offences.

A GOLD Coast man who pleaded guilty to preying on almost 40 different children online to make child exploitation material will be eligible for parole in less than a year.

Southport District Court Judge David Kent QC yesterday sentenced New Zealand national Cameron Alistar Conrad, 36, to a six-year head sentence with a parole eligibility date after serving two years.

Conrad will be required to complete a high-intensity sexual offenders program while behind bars. The 423 days Conrad had spent pre-sentence custody were counted as time already served.

He was arrested following seven months of “exploitative and predatory” offending in September 2017.

The man contacted children on “roulette-style” online chat rooms.

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In sentencing, Judge Kent said Conrad’s most serious offence was making child exploitation material and it carried a maximum penalty of 14 years prison.

Conrad contacted victims in “roulette-style” online chat rooms where users are connected at random. He selected sites frequented by children where he masturbated in view of them, instructed them to masturbate and in some cases touch each other while he recorded.

He preyed upon 37 children aged between five and 14 from February to September last year. The children were from Russia, Ukraine or Australia.

Conrad did not share any of the 42 videos he took of the children. He was also caught with 1032 unique child exploitation images on two mobile phones and an online storage service linked to his email.

The man had previously been caught performing indecent acts on minors.

Judge Kent said in 2011 Conrad had previously been caught performing indecent acts to a person aged under 16 and was imprisoned in NSW.

When Conrad was released on parole, Judge Kent said he travelled to Queensland where he breached his reporting obligations despite being a reportable offender.

Conrad, a father of two, had a “prejudicial upbringing” in New Zealand, learning and behavioural difficulties and moved to Australia aged 14.

Judge Kent said Conrad was likely to be deported upon his release.

“A feature of your case which sadly is not uncommon on the Gold Coast is, as a New Zealand citizen, you will be deported when you are released from prison,” Judge Kent said.

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He said Conrad’s offending does enormous damage to innocent children.

“In my view it is likely the victims will suffer later in life when they realise the significance of what has been happening to them as children,” Judge Kent said.

He said ordering him to complete a high-intensity sexual offenders would reduce his risk of reoffending.