Facebook sex fiend Matthew Jenkins had sexual encounters with two 13-year-old girls
A Melbourne internet pervert met a 13-year-old girl on Facebook and swapped lewd messages and photographs with her before the site closed his account down. But that didn’t stop him from luring the girl and her friend and committing “serious crimes”.
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A “kind, trustworthy and compassionate” perverted sex fiend has used Facebook to lure two underage teenage girls for sex.
Matthew Jenkins began communicating with one of the girls, then 13, via his own profile and Facebook Messenger between January and November last year.
Jenkins and the girl swapped lewd messages and photographs.
Facebook closed down Jenkin’s account but he opened another one under a false name and continued communication.
Jenkins met the girl and her friend, also 13, who was said to be acting as a “chaperone”, in person. Both girls performed sexual acts on Jenkins.
Jenkins met the girls several more times where he had sexual encounters with his first victim.
Police raided Jenkins’ home where they seized two laptops, a computer, mobile phone and sex toy linking him to the offending.
Jenkins told police he knew what he did was wrong but felt justified because he “was not forcing his victims to do anything”.
He told police he believed his offending against the first victim “made her happy”.
Jenkins, 24, was sentenced in the County Court on September 17 after pleading guilty to three charges of sexual penetration of a child under 16.
He also pleaded guilty to a Commonwealth charge of using a carriage service to transmit indecent communication to a person under the age of 16.
References submitted at his plea stated Jenkins to be a kind, trustworthy and compassionate person who is “a good son, brother and friend”.
Jenkins, a son of professional parents who studied at Monash University, was also purported to be “very well-regarded by family and friends”.
The pervert was described as being shy with low self-esteem while one reference said Jenkins “relied on social media as a basis for friendship or intimacy”.
Despite the glowing references, Judge Wilmoth said Jenkins committed “serious crimes”.
“You took advantage of vulnerable girls who were barely into their teenage years and who were too young to make decisions about such behaviour,” she said.
However Judge Wilmoth said “certain aggravating factors which are often features of similar offending are absent in this case”.
Jenkin’s defence submitted there was no force or violence used, no inducements and no circumstances relevant to breach of trust.
It was also submitted the age gap of eight years was “modest” in comparison to similar offending, there was no pressure to perform certain acts and minimal contact with the second victim.
Judge Wilmoth said these “observations” were to apply overall as sentencing factors to be taken in account.
“As noted already victim one was a willing participant,” she said.
Defence submitted Jenkin’s offending on one of the sexual penetration charges was “towards the lower end”.
This submission was accepted by the prosecution and Judge Wilmoth.
“Taking into account the material placed before me and the submissions of counsel I have formed the view that the interests of justice do not warrant the fixing of a non-parole period of at least 60 per cent of the head sentence,” Judge Wilmoth said.
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Jenkins, who had no priors, was given four years and six months for the state charges and 12 months for the Commonwealth charge.
He was given a non-parole period of two years and six months.
Jenkins has been registered as a serious sex offender and will have to report to police every year for the rest of his life.