Renowned Melbourne Violinist Aaron Barnden jailed for child pornography offences
A renowned violinist who performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and at various big name Victorian festivals has faced the music for his lewd homemade child porn crimes.
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A renowned violinist who was teaching children music when he was busted with vile child pornography has been jailed.
Aaron Barnden, 43, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to two months’ jail after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child abuse material.
Barnden was nabbed after Australian Federal Police raided the Blackburn home he shared with his partner on September 19 last year.
Investigators seized multiple devices which contained 319 vile child abuse material images including some depicting sadism and torture.
Police also discovered Barnden had created his own child abuse material by photoshopping underage children onto pornographic images.
The paedo also added additional vile details to his horrible images.
Investigators discovered evidence which linked Barnden to internet child porn sites and forums.
There was also evidence Barnden had quick links to vile images suitable for his ghastly photoshopping.
The vile fiend also collected more than 1000 photo files of specific images under folder names: iTunes Album, Faces, Mouths, Special Collection.
Barnden’s search history included: “9 year old girl mouth open”, “Young girl hooray” and “9 year old girl beach”.
The court was told Barnden was working as a music tutor but had not worked since losing his working with children check when charged.
The professional violinist earned a music scholarship for Camberwell Grammar before doing a masters of music at Melbourne University.
Barnden then toured Victoria and other parts of the world and did stints with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and Australian Philharmonic Orchestra.
He also claimed to have taught music at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary College.
Barnden was a member of a Melbourne band which performed multiple gigs including Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival, Stonnington Jazz Festival, Melbourne Jazz Fringe Festival, Brunswick Music Festival.
According to the band’s bio it has performed with several big names including Hugh Jackman, Guy Pearce and Joe Camilleri.
The court heard Barnden turned to child porn because he lost his “sex drive”.
It was submitted Barnden spent hours online getting “lost down the rabbit hole” searching for “more interesting and surprising” content
Judge Kevin Doyle said the offending was serious but it was a “difficult” sentencing process.
Judge Doyle said there was community benefit for Barnden to continue his sex offender treatment.
Barnden was also sentenced to a two-year community correction order and made a registered sex offender for 15 years.
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