Bendigo man caught with child abuse material fronts court
A vile druggie who spent four years in jail for collecting child abuse material has struck again, downloading more than 14,000 graphic child abuse images.
Leader
Don't miss out on the headlines from Leader . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A “serious sex offender” from regional Victoria downloaded tens of thousands of child abuse material after spending four years behind bars for similar vile offending.
Aaron Gaunt was jailed — this time for five years — after police found 14,223 child sex abuse material images the sentencing judge described as “perverted, disgusting, sickening and depraved.”
He pleaded guilty in the County Court to five charges of knowingly possessing child abuse material, four of distributing child abuse material, and two of producing child abuse material.
Judge Geoff Chettle said the images Gaunt downloaded showed young children being penetrated by adults and animals. Some children were crying and in obvious pain, he said while sentencing Gaunt.
“The children in those images are real human beings traumatised and damaged by the exploitation involved in the production of that material,” he said
Gaunt admitted downloading between 50 and 1000 images at a time and that he’d done so since his release from prison in 2021.
Gaunt, 43, was sentenced in the County Court to four years imprisonment in 2018 for a number of charges, including possessing child abuse material, transmitting child pornography,
distributing an intimate image, and trafficking in a drug dependence.
On June 24, 2021, Gaunt was placed on the sex offenders register and was subjected to release conditions. He failed to disclose that he created a word presser account on November 18, 2021 and a dropbox account three days later. Both accounts allowed sharing of material online.
On December 12, 2021 Gaunt uploaded 46 child abuse materials to word press and seven to drop box the next day. Three of the seven files were videos.
On December 21, 2021 he sent 27 child abuse material to Facebook messenger and then created an email address and forwarded them to himself. After receiving them, he then altered a photograph containing a child abuse material to include a sexually explicit story, including the rape of the child and her mother. He then uploaded the story and photo to Facebook messenger.
The same day, Gaunt uploaded another seven child abuse material images to Facebook and sent them to an unknown recipient by email.
He uploaded one child abuse material to flirt.com in May. Police executed a search warrant in a caravan he was living in on Lockwood Rd, Kangaroo Flat. They seized four mobile phones which contained 14,223 child abuse material images and a total of 48 minutes and 37 seconds of child abuse videos.
When interviewed, Judge Chettle said Gaunt was “very compliant and forthcoming.” He made full confessions.
“You admitted masturbating to the child sex material. You said you’d download child abuse material after long periods of methylamphetamine use.
“I must consider protection of the community from you as the predominant sentencing considering you as a serious sexual offender.”
Gaunt grew up in Diggers Rest and moved to Bendigo at the age of 12. Judge Chettle said Gaunt left school at Year 9 after being diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD.
He had worked as an arborist and a tattooist in the past and told a report writer that his principal occupation at present was that of a drug dealer.
“Your abuse as a child saw you turn to drug abuse which in turn promoted or assisted your child abuse material offending. The need to address your drug offending is critical.
“The proliferation of child abuse material is prevalent and perverted. Real children are suffering. People minded to promote the abuse of children by dealing and possessing child abuse material need understand that they will go to prison,” Judge Chettle said.
Gaunt will serve a minimum non parole period of three years.
Prominent real estate agency cleared of underquoting
A prominent Melbourne real estate agency that had been accused of underquoting has been cleared of any wrongdoing, a court has heard.
Prominent Mildura winery owner hit with stalking allegations
A well-known Mildura winery owner has been accused of inappropriate behaviour towards a woman, with one alleged incident happening near a public toilet.