Monash Uni sex fiend Aran Spottiswood spared extra jail time after filming sex with child

A ‘predatory’ Monash Uni sicko who filmed his schoolgirl sex attack with a GoPro has avoided an extended prison term.

Aran Spottiswood had sex with a child and filmed it on his GoPro. Google.

A privileged Monash University graduate jailed for having sex with a 14-year-old girl and filming it on a GoPro has avoided a longer stint behind bars.

Aran Spottiswood, 27, was sentenced in the County Court in August to four years’ jail with a minimum of two years after pleading guilty charges including sexual penetration of a child under 16.

And his sentence remains unchanged after an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions to extend Spottiswood’s jail term was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on Wednesday.

Spottiswood, a well-educated former accountant from a prominent Melbourne family, met his victim on teen dating app MyLOL then messaged her via Snapchat.

The victim told Spottiswood she was “not interested” when he said he was 24.

Spottiswood set up a new Snapchat account this time pretending to be 19.

He chatted with his victim before the messages became “sexual” in nature.

Spottiswood picked the girl up in his car and drove her to Seabrook Reserve in Broadmeadows in March 2014.

He took the victim’s clothes off and sexually penetrated her.

Spottiswood later messaged the victim on Snapchat and asked her to send him nude images of herself.

Spottiswood drove the girl back to Seabrook Reserve where he sexually penetrated her again.

This time he blindfolded his victim and filmed his depraved act with a GoPro camera.

A few days later Spottiswood drove his victim to Sewell Reserve in Glenroy where he sexually assaulted her.

Police patrolling the area spotted Spottiswood’s car and investigated.

Spottiswood told his victim that “we don’t know each other” and “tell them we met at a servo” as officers approached his car.

Police determined Spottiswood’s and his victim’s age and arrested him.

Investigators seized Spottiswood’s iPhone, his GoPro, a Dell laptop and an external hard drive.

Analysis of the devices uncovered multiple lewd videos and images of Spottiswood’s victim.

Police found almost 2000 images and videos of child abuse material on Spottiswood’s laptop.

Some of the material included children as young as four being penetrated by adult men.

Investigators also discovered child abuse material on Spottiswood’s phone.

Brendan Kissane QC, for the DPP, told the Court of Appeal Spottiswood’s total effective sentence and non-parole period was “manifestly inadequate”.

“There’s a predatory nature to this offending,” Mr Kissane said.

“The respondent is significantly older … his behaviour was manipulative … it could also be said that it was persistent.”

Mr Kissane said Spottiswood stood to be sentenced as a “serious sexual offender” for some of his charges.

“Protection to the community is the paramount consideration,” Mr Kissane said.

Mr Kissane accepted Judge Liz Gaynor found 12 mitigating factors when sentencing Spottiswood.

“Even when taking those matters into the consideration, the sentence was manifestly inadequate,” Mr Kissane said.

Mr Kissane also highlighted a finding Spottiswood could be a “medium to high” risk of reoffending.

The defence submitted Spottiswood losing his career as a chartered accountant should be considered “extra-curricular punishment”.

The defence also submitted Spottiswood’s time in custody would be more onerous and he would be a “target” due to his background.

Spottiswood, who grew up “well-educated” in a “privileged” household, attended Luther College in Croydon before studying commerce at Monash University.

Spottiswood was a highly regarded Monash student who remained involved with several school committees and extra-curricular activities after he graduated.

Spottiswood worked as an accountant and senior financial adviser for several top firms prior to his arrest including Price Waterhouse Cooper.

“There is no real argument that this was reprehensible conduct committed by a young man who, up to that point, had led a comfortable, trouble-free and privileged life,” Court of Appeal justices outlined in their written judgment.

“His conduct was predatory. He sought out a young teenage girl and, upon rejection, waited for a time and modified his approach by lying about his age …

“Had we been sentencing this young man at first instance we might not have

imposed a sentence as lenient as that imposed by the judge …

“We have concluded that it was reasonably open to the judge to impose the sentence that she did.

“We are not persuaded that the sentence under challenge reflects that the sentencing judge

failed to give proper weight to all relevant sentencing considerations.

“It follows that we must dismiss the appeal.”

Spottiswood, who also pleaded guilty to producing child abuse material, sexual assault of a child under 16, was placed on the sex offender registry for life.

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