Landscape architect creep Tech Ooi groomed girl for sex via Snapchat, caught with child porn
A prominent Melbourne landscape architect who worked on big projects for the State Government, Melbourne Uni and several councils including Port Phillip has been exposed as a vile paedophile who groomed an 11-year-old schoolgirl via Snapchat.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Melbourne landscape architect who groomed an 11-year-old schoolgirl for sex via Snapchat claimed his victim was “precocious”.
Tech Ooi, 32, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Monday to multiple child sex offences including procuring a child to engage in sexual activity outside Australia.
Ooi met his victim via social media site ‘IMVU’ — an online gaming platform popular with children and teenagers — in late-2018.
Ooi then communicated with the girl via Snapchat and Google hangouts.
The court heard Ooi swapped messages, GIFs and gaming related images with his victim.
Ooi, of Carlton, then sent messages of an “explicit sexual nature”, and lewd images and videos.
He also told his victim to commit lewd acts.
The court heard the victim, from the US state of Florida, was not aware of Ooi’s true age but he knew hers.
He asked her about school and told the victim he thought of his “baby girl of course” while committing a lewd act.
Ooi, whose offending occurred between December 2018 and January 2019, wasn’t found out until his victim’s mother found material on the girls’s phone and alerted US authorities.
Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team officers raided Ooi’s Cardigan St home in November 2019 after the United States Department of Homeland Security tipped-off local authorities.
Investigators seized Ooi’s phone, a hard drive and a desktop stand which together contained 389 vile child abuse images and videos including some material classified as bestiality, sadism, hentai or animation.
In her victim impact statement, the girl said she had been happy but was now “withdrawn”.
“I did not care because he made me think everything was real,” the victim said.
“It scares me half to death (thinking about the offending).”
The victim’s mother said she blamed herself for her “little girl’s childhood being taken away”.
The court heard Ooi’s boss provided a reference but wasn’t aware of the offending.
Ooi’s lawyer said his client was an “interesting fellow” who has “literally been building Melbourne”.
The court heard Ooi came to Australia to study at RMIT where he completed a bachelor and masters in landscape architecture.
Ooi then worked on projects for the State Government, Melbourne University and several councils including Port Phillip, Moonee Valley and Wyndham.
Ooi, via his lawyer, said the offending was “fantasy play” to him.
“Seems a bit more than fantasy,” Judge Michael McInerney said.
“It seems to be, unfortunately for him, a sexual outlet or sexual satisfaction …
“Clearly he’s got an obsession with child pornography.”
Ooi’s lawyer also submitted the “precocious” victim was “advanced in her commentary”.
“That’s not going to help him,” Judge McInerney said
Ooi, who will be made a registered sex offender for life, had his bail extended until sentencing on September 3 where Judge McInerney ordered he must appear in person.
Ooi, a Malaysian citizen and permanent resident of Australia, will most likely be deported after he has served his sentence.
MORE NEWS
MORNINGTON MUM'S HOME INVASION HORROR BY VIOLENT SIBLINGS
HOW PAEDOPHILE CLOWN ALMOST BECAME MOOMBA MONARCH
TOP JOCKEY'S SISTER JAILED FOR BASHING, ROBBING CANCER PATIENT