Monash Uni grad Aran Spottiswood jailed for raping child, filming assault on a GoPro camera
A 14-year-old girl raped by a privileged Monash University and Luther College grad, who filmed the despicable act on a GoPro, says she thought it was her fault “for a long time” and the images of the crimes haunt her everyday.
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A well-educated and privileged Monash University graduate from a prominent Melbourne family raped a 14-year-old girl and filmed it on a GoPro.
Aran Spottiswood, 26, was sentenced in the County Court last Tuesday to a minimum two years’ jail after pleading guilty to sexual penetration of a child under 16 and other child sex offences.
Spottiswood met his victim on teen dating app MyLOL then messaged her via Snapchat.
She 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 raped 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 raped 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 vile 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.
In her victim statement, the 14-year-old girl said she felt “ashamed” at what Spottiswood did to her.
“I felt ashamed at going to the doctors … or just talking about it in general,” she said.
“For a long time I thought it was my fault.
“The images of these crimes haunt me everyday … I was used by a horrible man.”
The victim’s parents said, in their victim impact statement, that their “once happy family had been torn apart”.
The court heard Spottiswood grew up “well-educated” in a “privileged” household.
His father Mal was a prominent Melbourne lawyer and his mum was a scientist.
Spottiswood, from Warrandyte, 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.
He was also working “3-4” nights as a part-time DJ including performing at Bayside Council events.
Spottiswood has no priors but the court heard he was given a warning after a teacher found concerning “material” on his phone and reported him to police.
A psychologist found Spottiswood was “in denial” over his offending which suggested he could be a “medium to high” risk of reoffending.
Spottiswood claimed he received the child abuse material as “untitled files” after downloading other files from the internet.
Judge Liz Gaynor said Spottiswood’s conduct was “predatory and manipulative”.
Judge Gaynor also said Spottiswood subjected his victim to a “degrading experience”.
“You have deliberately set out to sexually gratify yourself through your victim,” Judge Gaynor said.
Spottiswood, who also pleaded guilty to involving a child in the production of child abuse material, sexual assault of a child under 16 and possession of child abuse material, was jailed for a maximum four years.
He was placed on the sex offender registry for life.
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