Ex-NRL star Brett Finch faces fresh charge while serving child abuse sentence

A former NRL player serving a sentence for sending child abuse messages has entered a guilty plea to a new charge.

Ex-NRL star Brett Finch has pleaded guilty to a fresh charge while serving a community sentence for sending child abuse messages via a sex chat service in an attempt to obtain drugs in 2022.

The 42-year-old was sentenced to a two-year term of imprisonment in November 2022 after pleading guilty to one count of using a carriage service to transmit or publish child abuse material; however, the judge ordered that he was required to serve his term in the community.

He appeared at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday after he was charged with failing to comply with his reporting obligations on December 15.

Finch entered a guilty plea and will now have to report to Sutherland Police Station for fingerprinting.

Former NRL star Brett Finch has faced fresh charges in court on Tuesday. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Over three months, Finch sent seven voice messages to other men using the gay sex chat service FastMeet, expressing his desire to engage in sexual acts with young boys.

During his evidence, the former NRL star said the messages were part of a desperate effort to feed his addiction to the drug cocaine.

While District Court Judge Phillip Mahony found it to be an “absurd” scheme, he determined the messages were borne out of Finch’s addiction and not a desire to abuse children.

The former halfback retired from rugby league in 2013 after two grand final losses while playing for the Sydney Roosters in 2003 and 2004 and one win in 2009 while playing for the Melbourne Storm.

This title would ultimately be struck from the record after the club was found to have breached salary cap regulations.

Over the course of his 15-year career, Finch played for Canberra, the Roosters, Parramatta and Melbourne as well as playing 60 games in the English Super League.