Conor James Brett Thurgood pleads guilty to indecent treatment of 14yo girl

Lawyers for a man who engaged in sex acts with an underage teen claimed the Snapchat messages about sexy costumes and nude photos were in part because of his mental health diagnosis.

Conor James Brett Thurgood was 19 when, in December 2020, he bought vodka Cruisers for a then-14-year-old girl who performed oral sex in his car. Photo: Zoe Devenport

A young man has avoided any type of jail term and having a conviction recorded against him for sexually exploiting an underage girl who traded sexual favours for booze.

Lawyers for Conor James Brett Thurgood argued in Mackay District Court his mental health diagnosis made the case “exceptional”.

Thurgood was 19 when, in December 2020, he bought vodka Cruisers for a then-14-year-old girl who performed oral sex in his car – the pair had started talking over social media app Snapchat.

The court heard their communication reignited weeks later again over Snapchat, with discussions of “sexy nurse costumes” and nude photos sent by the victim.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Gallagher said the police became involved after the victim’s friends saw the sexualised messages and told a teacher.

The court heard he tried to downplay his offending claiming “he was not interested in her”, but admitted he knew it was wrong because of the age difference.

Ms Gallagher pushed for a jail term, even wholly suspended, and a conviction recorded because of the “seriousness of the conduct, the fact he is seen as a low to moderate risk of reoffending”, arguing there was “some benefit of the community knowing these facts”.

“(She’s) committing sex acts for alcohol,” Ms Gallagher said.

But barrister Scott McLennan argued, on the basis of a psychological report, the facts were mitigated by the now 21-year-old’s autism diagnosis effectively lowering his mental age providing a causal link to the offending.

Mr McLennan said it had been a consensual relationship between the pair that had stopped before the victim’s friend had seen the messages.

Conor James Brett Thurgood was 19 when, in December 2020, he bought vodka Cruisers for a then-14-year-old girl who performed oral sex in his car. Photo: Zoe Devenport

It was accepted the offending occurred over two months.

Mr McLennan said his client had taken big steps towards his rehabilitation.

Thurgood, who has no criminal history, plead guilty to indecent treatment of a child under 16 and using the internet to procure a child under 16.

Judge Terry Gardiner said he accepted that the man’s “understanding of dating and establishing attachments was underdeveloped and incongruent with [his] chronological age”.

“I accept from the doctor’s report that your capacity for social reasoning is likely impaired,” Judge Gardiner said.

“The psychologist felt your long term prospects of rehabilitation were good (and) describes your risk of reoffending as low to moderate.

“I’m satisfied in this case that there are exceptional circumstances that justify a term of actual imprisonment not being imposed.”

The man was placed on three years probation with conditions to continue psychiatric treatment.

Judge Gardiner said despite “strong grounds” for the man to be convicted, the community would be best served by the man continuing work and rehabilitation.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Conor James Brett Thurgood pleads guilty to indecent treatment of 14yo girl