Elderly man Photoshopped wife into child sex abuse images

A 70-year-old Sunshine Coast man has avoided jail time after more than 800 child exploitation images were found on his computer. WARNING: Graphic

Ian Bloomer, 70, pleaded guilty to possessing, downloading, sharing and creating child exploitation images in Maroochydore District Court. Picture: File

An elderly man who was found with hundreds of graphic child exploitation images and photoshopped his wife into some of them has avoided jail time.

Ian Bloomer, 70, was sentenced in Maroochydore District Court on February 5 after pleading guilty to possessing child exploitation material, using a carriage service to access child pornography material, using a carriage service to make available child pornography material and making child exploitation material.

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Crown prosecutor William Slack said in July 2019 police identified a computer registered to Bloomer had been used to download hundreds of child exploitation images, many depicting "naked, pre-pubescent girls in various poses, with a focus on their genitals".

Mr Slack said after the images were downloaded they were then made available to others through the internet using peer to peer networks uTorrent and Limewire.

Police searched Bloomer's Forest Glen home on July 19, 2019 and found more than 881 child exploitation images, of which 589 were unique, on his computers.

The images were filed in two categories, one depicting children under 13 and one depicting children aged 13-16.

The court heard Bloomer used his home computer to download, share and create graphic child exploitation images. Picture: File

"The more serious or depraved images include an adult male's penis penetrating a toddler's anus and a female child's vagina being penetrated by a male," Mr Slack said.

Mr Slack said an analysis of the computers showed Bloomer had been viewing the material for about five months.

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Two "homemade" child exploitation images were also found on a computer, and Mr Slack said Bloomer had "essentially photoshopped" images of his wife into the material.

The court heard Bloomer's wife had "no idea" the images were created.

"One image showed his wife sitting on a bench in a provocative position, with an unknown male and naked female child with her vagina exposed to the camera," Mr Slack said.

"Another showed his wife, naked on a daybed, with the same girl from the first image.

On August 2, 2019, police contacted Bloomer who voluntarily attended the police station and read a pre-prepared statement which outlined the various personal stresses he had suffered in the lead up to the offending.

Court files showed Bloomer told police he used adult pornographic websites as a form of "escapism" but not for arousal purposes.

The file stated Bloomer had suffered from prostate cancer resulting in erectile dysfunction and visited the websites to "help him be more intimate with his wife".

He initially denied downloading or sharing child exploitation material but admitted to creating the images of his wife and said he was ashamed of doing it.

He was arrested, charged and released on bail.

Mr Slack said Bloomer came before the court with no criminal history and acknowledged that his guilty plea had assisted in the administration of justice.

Judge Glen Cash sentenced Bloomer to two years in prison for possessing child exploitation material, and eight months for making child exploitation material, immediately suspended for two years.

For using a carriage service to download and make available the child exploitation material, Judge Cash sentenced him to two years each, to be served concurrently, with immediate release on a $1000 good behaviour bond.

*For 24-hour sexual violence support call the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or MensLine on 1800 600 636.