Father jailed over ‘gross’ images showing his son, other minors being sexually violated

A father-of-two has been jailed after he was caught with child exploitation material, including grotesque images involving his sleeping five-year-old son.

A father who groomed what he thought was a young girl was later found with exploitation material involving his own two children, including grotesque images with his sleeping five-year-old son.

The predator, whose identity is suppressed, was sentenced in the Adelaide District Court on Monday after previously pleading guilty to all offences against him.

The man in his 30s, originally from interstate, was charged with three counts of making a child amenable to sexual activity, three counts of aggravated production of child exploitation material and maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

He was also charged with two counts each of possession and aggravated possession of child exploitation material.

According to sentencing remarks, the paedophile’s offending was discovered when he unknowingly began speaking with an undercover police officer who impersonated a 14-year-old girl on the Kik Messenger app on December 26, 2019.

The man continued to contact the ‘teenager’ for another month.

The extent of the paedophile’s offending came to light after he began messaging what he believed to be a 14-year-old girl on Kik. Picture: Supplied

During those conversations, he sent sexually explicit messages, a pornographic video of an adult male and female as well as a photo and video of a girl aged under 14 performing a sex act.

Police arrested him at his home in February 2020, seizing electronic devices and finding hundreds of images depicting child exploitation material, which included his son and daughter.

Of the 533 illegal images on his mobile phone, there were 10 of his five-year-old son dated October 13, 2019 that showed the man exposing himself near his child.

A further 10 photos from December 7-8 that year showed the man defiling the sleeping boy.

There were eight other disturbing photos involving the man and the boy.

Thirteen photos of the man’s naked eight-year-old daughter were also discovered, with one cropped so all that was visible was her body from her chin to mid shin.

Judge Kimber said the two children still had no knowledge of the images being taken.

A further 33 pictures depicting exploitation material of children under the age of 17 years were on his mobile as well as 500 indecent images that showed children under the age of 14 years.

Two laptops also were found to contain further images and videos of the illegal material.

Hundreds of images depicting child exploitation were found on the predator’s mobile phone as well as on two of his laptops.

The judge said the predator’s actions were “a gross breach” of his children’s trust.

While they were unaware of his actions now, they may learn of what their father did and be “adversely impacted”, he said.

“I am not prepared to sentence you on the basis your conduct will never have any impact upon them,” Judge Kimber said.

“I expect they will ask why you are no longer part of their lives, if they have not asked that question already.

“Even if they never learn of what you did, I expect that they will be adversely impacted by not being able to understand why they can have no relationship with their father.”

The court heard the paedophile reported being “guilt ridden” after his first four offences but claimed not to remember his offending against his children.

“I find that difficult to accept,” the judge said.

“You must have been aware of the offending afterwards, as you had the photographs and you kept them.”

He was handed down a head sentence of 10 years and four months imprisonment.

Because the judge found the man to be a serious repeat offender, he was ordered to serve a non-parole period of eight years and four months.