Travis Loughnan sentenced for creating, distributing, promoting and accessing child sex abuse material: County Court

A Mildura man told police he wasn’t interested in child abuse material of babies, rather just of children 11 and older, because he didn’t want to see them “having a bad time”.

Travis Loughnan was involved in the distribution of nearly 1000 pieces of child pornography. Picture: Generic

A Mildura man told police he wasn’t interested in child abuse material of babies, rather just of children 11 and older, because he didn’t want to see them “having a bad time”.

Travis Loughnan, 38, was sentenced on Thursday at the County Court after he pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to distribute child abuse material, one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, and one count of producing child abuse material for use through a carriage service.

Loughnan, who was already on the sex offenders registry for life for pervious offending, also pleaded guilty to failing in his reporting duties during this period.

Loughnan received a sentence of 12 years and six months behind bars. He will be eligible for parole after eight and a half years.

Loughnan joined several depraved groups on the Telegram app that promoted child pornography

The court heard on December 15 a search warrant was executed at Loughnan’s mum’s house where they found a Telegram account belonging to Loughnan that had been used to access child sex abuse material through various depraved groups.

Among the disturbing things they found associated with that account included a depraved story penned by Loughnan that depicted child sex abuse acts.

On top of that abhorrent behaviour, it was also discovered Loughnan distributed 105 videos and 442 child abuse images in one of the groups over a period of ten days.

The foul groups on the app actively encouraged people to share, create and buy child abuse material.

Rules outlined for one group stated it both permitted and encouraged pornographic images of girls as young as four and up to the age of thirteen.

Loughnan was active across the groups and “owned” six images which he titled “Daddy’s Little S---s”.

Loughnan’s case was heard in the County Court. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

In total Loughnan was involved in the distribution of nearly 1000 pieces of child pornography.

The court heard Loughnan told police he liked children, “aged 11 or 12 and up, but definitely not babies and not where you see them suffering or having a bad time”.

“The nature of the material was abhorrent and disturbing involving children aged as young as four through to those aged as young as 12,” Judge Robyn Harper said.

“(The victims) were not enjoying themselves as you seem to have suggested to police, they were all suffering and having a bad time. They were being violated in the most unthinkable ways.

“These are crimes which cause real and lasting harm to the children who are subjected to abuse for the vile gratification of offenders like you.”

Judge Harper also noted Loughnan was yet to participate in a sex offenders’ treatment course.

“You are not yet far down the path of rehabilitation,” she added.

With 932 days reckoned as time served, Loughnan will not be eligible for parole until the middle of 2030.