Brisbane tradie films child exploitation material involving five-year-old girl

A Brisbane painter has faced court after being charged with indecent treatment of a child in a video involving a five-year-old girl.

Petrie Terrace man Shawn Joseph Innis. Picture: Facebook

A Brisbane tradie has become a reportable offender after facing court for filming child exploitation material with a five-year-old girl.

Shawn Joseph Innis, 37, was charged with one count of making child exploitation material, one count of indecent treatment of a child under 12 years old and two counts of possessing child exploitation material.

The Petrie Terrace man pleaded guilty to all offences on Thursday in Beenleigh District Court.

The court heard that the then 35-year-old was arrested because of an unrelated offence on May 20 last year and provided police with the passcode to his mobile phone.

Investigators identified multiple child exploitation materials, including a 12 second video of a female child around five years of age.

In the video, the camera panned upwards, showing the girl’s bare bottom and the defendant stroking the child’s face and back.

It also showed an unknown person masturbating Innis who was identifiable by his tattoo.

Forensic analyst located 257 images and 108 videos of children as young as four to five years old with no sexual activity on his phone.

The phone also contained three images with solo or sex acts between children.

Police executed a search at the defendant’s previous address, revealing two of his 10 devices contained 151 child exploitation images and 22 videos.

The court was told that the Cairns born man, who worked as a painter, had mental health and drug issues.

Judge Amanda McDonnell said Innis was the principal offender of the four offences.

“These offences actually harm real children,” she said.

“The repeated circulation of child pornography depicting this abuse continues the victimisation.

“Victims of child pornography report lifelong impacts as a result of the abuse and by participating in it, you were re-victimising them.

“It is difficult to permanently or fully remove images from circulation, and every time you access that material, you supported the market for continued corruption and exploitation of materials.”

Ms McDonnell sentenced him to three years’ jail, suspended after 460 days he spent in pre-sentence custody from May 20 last year, and three years of probation.

Convictions were all recorded, meaning Innis became a reportable offender.

Originally published as Brisbane tradie films child exploitation material involving five-year-old girl