Patrick Mathews, 51, sentenced at County Court for possessing and producing child abuse material
A former US Navy sailor moved to Australia and sleazed his way onto a pedo chat while living in Maryborough and secretly filming two young girls in the shower.
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A sex fiend whose pedo chat group moniker was “under 18 only” has been exposed secretly filming two young girls in the shower.
Patrick Mathews, 51, of Maryborough, was jailed at the County Court for two years with 14 months non-parole after pleading guilty producing child abuse material.
The court heard police raided Mathews’ home and workplace in Maryborough after an investigation found he was part of a pedophile chatgroup that shared child sexual exploitation videos using a moniker that included the phrase “under 18 only”.
Police seized Mathews’ phone and found he had been filming two young girls in the shower for a number of months in 2022.
The grub was then busted again in June and July of 2023 possessing disgusting videos of child sexual exploitation.
Judge Amanda Chambers described Mathews’ “appalling predatory behaviour” as an “egregious breach of trust” that had left a “devastating impact” on “every aspect” of his victims’ lives.
The court heard he had expressed a “limited level of remorse” or insight for his offending and gave self serving explanations for his vile acts.
One victim said she was left feeling “dirty, violated and unsafe” while the other victim said she “never feels clean no matter how often she showers”.
The court heard Mathews, originally from the US, was not an Australian citizen and could be deported after his sentence had been carried out.
Mathews, a recovered alcoholic, had joined the US navy at 21 where he was “constantly” AWOL due to his drinking, before he left and became a diesel mechanic, the court heard.
Mathews moved to Australia and worked as a trailer welder in Maryborough until recently, the court heard.
Mathews faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for possessing child abuse material and 10 years each for two counts of producing child abuse material.
Mathews’ lawyers argued for a sentence in the community, while the prosecution argued that he should be jailed for a non-parole period.
Judge Chambers said that a community order was not appropriate for filming two young girls and he needed to go to prison for a non-parole period, placing him on the sex offender register for life.
For the additional Commonwealth offence of possessing child abuse material, he was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment.
However only three months are to be served behind bars, with the remaining 11 to be served in the community as a Recognizance Release Order where he will undergo sex offender therapy.
His last three month stretch will begin after his non-parole period or 14 months end.
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