Scott Thomas Griffiths pleads guilty to child abuse material charges

A Noosaville business owner convicted of possessing child abuse material of “significant depravity” tried to explain away the offending on a computer “virus” from a gambling site. See what the judge said.

Scott Thomas Griffiths leaves the Maroochydore courthouse on Monday, November 13.

A Noosaville restaurant owner and father-of-two’s fall from grace has played out in court after he was busted accessing child abuse websites.

Scott Thomas Griffiths, 44, pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material and using a carriage service to access child abuse material as he appeared for his sentencing in the Maroochydore District Court on Monday, November 13.

The restaurateur was busted having accessed 31 websites containing child abuse material which were described in court as being of “significant depravity”.

The court was told the offences had occurred in July 2022.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks said police found two child abuse videos in Griffiths’ possession as well as 31 websites containing child exploitation material on his browser history.

Ms Marks said Griffiths initially told police, when questioned about the material, that it had come from a virus.

“Police executed a search warrant at his business address in Noosaville, he provided police with his phone and when asked if there might be child exploitation material on his phone, he told police there might be something of that nature,” Ms Marks said.

“However he blamed it on a virus and falsely claimed that child pornography automatically downloaded when he accessed a gambling website on the internet.”

Scott Thomas Griffiths leaves the Maroochydore courthouse on Monday, November 13.

Ms Marks told the court the access to the 31 sites had occurred over a two-day period, which was an aggravating part of the offending, adding Griffiths had not accessed rehabilitation after he was charged.

“It is concerning in my submission that there was access to so many pop ups with such concerning names in such a short period of time,” Ms Marks said.

Griffiths’ solicitor Anna Smith told the court her client had not actively searched for the 31 sites.

“What has happened he is looking at a website and what comes up is pop-ups or these thumbnails, so it is not actively seeking it, he has clicked on it so it is accepted that he didn’t know at first,” Ms Smith said.

District Court Judge Glen Cash told the court it was not accepted Griffiths did not have a sexual interest in children.

“It flies in the face of common sense,” Mr Cash said.

Griffiths was sentenced to nine months’ jail for the both the charges, for one charge the sentence was suspended immediately and for the second charge he agreed to enter into recognisance of $1000.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Scott Thomas Griffiths pleads guilty to child abuse material charges