Berwick dad Damien Griscti jailed for using social media to groom child for sex
A Berwick sex predator is behind bars for grooming an online 14-year-old girl by sending lewd images and messages on social media app KiK. And it was all thanks to a cunning police sting — here’s how they brought him down.
South East
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A Berwick dad who used social media to groom a child for sex has been jailed.
Damien Griscti, 39, was sentenced in the County Court on Wednesday to 20-months jail – with 14 months suspended – after pleading guilty to child sex offences.
Griscti communicated with an undercover Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team cop he believed was a 14-year-old girl from Melbourne named ‘Lily’.
Griscti sent the cop lewd messages and images via social media app KiK under the username ‘Damo81’ between August and November last year.
He told Lily that she had a “cute profile picture” and she looked “very young”.
Griscti remarked “cute” when Lily said she was 14.
He called her ‘cutie’, ‘kitten’, ‘princess’ and ‘little one’.
Griscti also said “young hot bodies turned him on” and he wanted to meet her schoolfriends for “something to do”.
Griscti then told Lily all the vile and lewd acts he wanted to do her.
He also asked Lily if she wanted to visit him at his work and if she wanted to have a threesome with his girlfriend.
Griscti sent lewd images and asked Lily to perform lewd acts and send images of herself performing lewd acts.
Griscti was arrested on November 7.
He handed over his devices and admitted his offending.
The court heard Griscti completed an electrician apprenticeship and has worked for an elevator company for 20 years.
Griscti’s partner, who he already has a daughter with, is pregnant and expecting another child soon, the court was told.
Judge Anne Hassan said the offending was “persistent and predatory”.
Griscti – who pleaded guilty to using a carriage to service to groom and transmit indecent communication to a person believed to be under 16 – was made a registered sex offender for 15 years.
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