Court: Benalla business owner David Mackennal pleads guilty to child sex offences
A Benalla man who operates a vintage car business has been exposed as a child sex deviant who wanted to perform sickening sexual acts overseas.
Goulburn Valley
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A Benalla business owner caught with a stash of child abuse material has been busted planning to force a child to engage in sexual activity overseas.
David Charles Bertram Mackennal, 65, pleaded guilty in the Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on November 7 after he was charged earlier this year by the Australian Federal Police’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET).
In October 2016, Mackennal was caught planning to force a child to engage in more sexual activity in the Philippines.
A year later in October 2017, Mackennal again planned to force a Filipino child to engage in sexual activity in front of him.
The exposed business owner was also busted accessing child abuse material between October 27, 2022 and December 18, 2022.
Between January and November of the same year, he was busted soliciting child abuse material.
According to his LinkedIn, the sex fiend has operated a business called Treasured Transport since 2007.
The business, according to its Facebook page, involves the “transport of running and non running classic and vintage cars, and the restoration of projects and car parts”.
Some of the charges Mackennal was facing were withdrawn by the prosecution as part of the plea.
Mackennal will face the County Court next year.
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