Maximus Walter Woolnough jailed for maintain sex relationship with child

A shattered mother has described how her child fell victim to an insidious online sex predator whose identity and sick crimes can be revealed. *Distressing

A Queensland predator has been jailed for maintaining a sexual relationship with a prepubescent Victorian child, causing her so much psychological harm her mother checks on her throughout the night.

*This story contains descriptions of sexual abuse and self-harm. Reader discretion is advised.

A Queensland predator has been jailed for maintaining a sexual relationship with a prepubescent Victorian child, causing her so much psychological harm her mother checks on her throughout the night.

Maximus Walter Woolnough, 23, formed a “misguided” relationship with a young girl online who later carried out serious self-harm acts including on a school camp two hours drive from her family, Rockhampton District Court heard.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the man’s offending was discovered after interstate police provided the Queensland Police Service with intelligence about the offender’s plans to meet up with the prepubescent child to have sex.

Police searched his residence discovering three devices containing child exploitation material which revealed his offending.

Woolnough sexually abused three victims, the court heard.

“The charges relating to each of them come solely from the videos and photographs which (the man) made immortalising his horrific sexual abuse of them and preserving it,” Ms Lawrence said.

“The extent of the relationship (with the Victorian child) is unclear due to her attempts to protect him by deleting the... messages.

“She deleted them when she became aware she’s going to speak with the police.”

Ms Lawrence said the offender was in an unlawful relationship with the Victorian child for at least three months and he got her to send photographs and videos of herself in indecent poses or performing indecent acts on herself.

She said the man sent the girl videos of himself masturbating and engaged in sexualised conversations.

Police then searched the offender’s home and found child exploitation material on three of his devices, organised into four folders, including 620 category one files and 936 category two.

Defence barrister Julie Marsden said her client’s parents separated when he was three and he was then in the care of his father where he was exposed to violence, drugs and alcohol in his childhood and when he was 10 years old, another child showed him hard core porn.

She said when he was eight years old, he watched his father be dragged out of a shower and beaten and on another occasion, was woken by police telling him his father was in hospital after being in a fight.

The court heard he hadn’t spoken to his father, who was a transient drug user, since he was 13.

Ms Marsden, who provided the court with reports from a forensic psychologist and a clinical neuropsychologist, said her client had significant mental health issues prior to the offending including suicide ideation and depression.

She said he also displayed symptoms of autism and low-level psychopathy.

The man pleaded guilty to charges of indecent treatment of a child under 12 along with one count each of maintain a sexual relationship with a child, making child exploitation material and possessing child exploitation material.

Judge Clarke sentenced him to six years prison, declared 693 days presentence custody as time already served and set parole eligibility for June 26, 2025.

‘I naively thought she was safe in her bedroom’: Mum’s powerful words for predator

“Two of the greatest fears parents can have, one, that someone is going to take advantage and abuse their child, and two, their child could die. You’ve brought both of those fears into our family … And our family has never been the same since …

“I naively thought that my very vulnerable (daughter) was safe in her bedroom … how wrong I was.

“Her bedroom wasn’t safe. It was far from it.

“Instead, what pursued for the next two years was my daughter with the worst mental health issues I had ever encountered, the loss of respect for herself, the guilt she felt over someone else’s actions, a grown man’s actions, the loss of trust in people, even (her family), even the ones who loved her the most, the inability to focus in school or even complete a full day, which in itself resulted in hundreds of text messages between myself and the wellbeing team to come and get her to organise meetings to discuss her failing subjects, to organise restricted timetables to make sure she’s not alone without adult supervision in case she hurt herself. The anger and sadness every single day.

“The worst part was the self harm. The hatred she had of herself and the world. That isn’t something I would wish on my worst enemy.

“Have you ever seen sexually explicit photos of your 12 to 13 year old daughter?

“Have you ever seen sexually explicit photos of a grown man on your child’s phone?

“Have you ever seen 1000s of sexually depraved images and conversations involving your child?

“I have and that can never be unseen.

“Do you know what it’s like to say goodnight to your child and not know if you’re going to find them (there in the morning).

“Do you know the feeling of opening their bedroom door in the middle of the night just to check if they’re breathing? I do; along with the unfathomable stress, anxiety and depression I feel (the offender) caused my family.

“There was also financial strain, the amount of time I had to take off to pick up my daughter from school early. Days I took off to make sure she would be safe and not harm herself.

“The doctor’s visits and psychology appointments that still to this day are weekly.

“My daughter is a child.

“My daughter is a victim.

“My daughter deserves to be kept safe.

“My daughter deserves a voice. Thank you for letting me be that voice.”

Originally published as Maximus Walter Woolnough jailed for maintain sex relationship with child