Man, 25, jailed for multiple child sex offences with 14-year-old girl

A man suffering from “chronic loneliness” had sex with a teen girl and kept sexual images of her, a court has heard – but a judge wasn’t deterred.

A man from Adelaide’s inner north has been sent to jail after pleading guilty to producing child exploitation material of a 14-year-old girl he was having unlawful sex with, a court has heard.

The man, 25, appeared in the District Court on Tuesday in front of Judge Paul Muscat, claiming he was “marred by ongoing mental health problems” and was suffering from “chronic loneliness” at the time of the offending.

He had pleaded guilty to possessing and producing child exploitation material and two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

However, Judge Muscat dismissed the submissions, ruling the man “well knew” the girl was considerably under the age of consent.

A man appeared in the District Court charged with various child sex offences. Picture: Facebook

“His primary motivation was sexual gratification,” he said.

“He was well aware that the girl was 14 and therefore incapable of consenting to sexual intercourse with him.

“The two of you were communicating with each other on a daily basis.”

On November 1, 2023, the man was arrested after the girl’s parents came forward to police. His phone was seized and later analysed – revealing the full extent of the relationship.

Messages on the phone revealed the pair had met over a four-month period between August 17 and November 1 of that year.

Police also located a total of 243 images of the girl – consisting of both sexual poses taken as screenshots from video calls and photos of her performing sex acts.

The man’s defence counsel acknowledged the offending was “serious”, but argued there were things that “could be done” and things that “needed to be done” to assist their client and the community.

“He’s got a desire to be a positive member of the community and to change his conduct,” they said.

“Ultimately, despite some progress in relation to his employment and alike, he’s really been marred by ongoing mental health problems.

“My client’s offending occurred in circumstances where he was suffering from chronic loneliness in the community, and the issues that he suffered led to – amongst other things – a fear of abandonment and a desire for attachment.”

He was sentenced three years and four months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.

The sentence will be backdated to March 28, 2024.

Originally published as Man, 25, jailed for multiple child sex offences with 14-year-old girl