Mark Dekleuver fronts court over sharing child abuse material

An international police operation has unmasked a porn-addicted Melbourne dad who produced and shared depraved child abuse material with an overseas pedo ring.

Melbourne man Mark Dekleuver has copped a hefty prison term for possessing and sharing child abuse material with an international pedo ring.

A porn-addicted Melbourne dad who produced and shared depraved child abuse material with an international pedo ring and fantasised about “choking” and “violently raping” a child has been jailed.

Former BASF sales technician Mark Dekleuver, 44, formerly of Lang Lang, shared the sickening images and explicit messages with users on the Wickr group chat.

He was sentenced by the County Court on Tuesday to 11 years’ imprisonment on charges including those in relation to possessing and transmitting child abuse material.

Dekleuver appeared via video link from prison where he had served 593 days in pre-sentence detention.

Judge Scott Johns said by producing and transmitting child abuse images, Dekleuver was part of the vile trade of exploitation of innocent and defenceless children.

Melbourne dad Mark Dekleuver was arrested after a tip-off from Danish law enfrocement authorities to Victoria Police about him producing and sharing child abuse material online.

Dekleuver also shared “explicit” messages to Wickr chat group which described in detail how he wanted to violently and brutally rape a child.

“The public would be extremely shocked at the despicable potential crimes and outrages against the child you enjoyed fantasising about with others,” Judge Johns said.

“The content of your conversation is so disturbing it also raises concerns regarding your rehabilitation and community protection.”

Judge Johns said Dekleuver’s offending would most likely have remained undetected were it not for an international operation by Danish authorities that resulted in a man’s arrest in December 2022.

Electronic devices seized from the man contained child abuse material Dekleuver produced.

Following a tip-off from Danish authorities, investigators from the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team in Melbourne found 128 images and 28 videos in electronic devices Dekleuver owned.

Investigators from the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team found 128 images and 28 videos in electronic devices owned by Mark Dekleuver.

He told investigators he had a few Wickr Pro accounts and that there were moments he knew his actions were wrong and deleted everything but then a couple of months later he would re-download and reactivate them.

Following his guilty pleas in February, Dekleuver’s lawyer Stephanie Joosten submitted that threats from online groups for specific images and what happened if he didn’t supply them was another contributing factor to his offending.

Judge Johns described claims of such threats as “self-preserving rationale”, saying objective evidence showed Dekleuver was a willing and enthusiastic participant on Wickr.

Equally, the judge said Dekleuver’s explanation of porn addiction that spiralled out of control, drug use and mental health issues were wholly inadequate in light of such prolonged, serious and depraved offending.

“You did this knowingly and deliberately for your own gratification, and that of others. None of the offending before me has come out of the blue.

“The facts reveal a man who knew exactly what he was doing and for what purpose,” Judge Johns said.

Dekleuver must serve eight years before he’ll be eligible for parole.