Audio engineer Christopher John Iasiello jailed for sending sexually explicit Snapchats to known predator Josh Dean French

This audio engineer had to quit his job when child sex offending charges came to light. Now he’s learned his fate for exploring “sexual fantasies” about children as young as eight.

An audio engineer who was encouraged by a convicted child predator to explore sexual fantasies involving girls as young as 8-years-old is “ashamed and remorseful” for his actions, but that didn’t persuade a judge to spare him jail time.

Christopher John Iasiello hung his head in the dock of the South Australian District Court on Wednesday morning as his hopes for a good behaviour bond were dashed.

Iasiello, now 33, was 28 years old when he sent sexually explicit videos to known pedophile Josh Dean French – who now identifies as Jayda Dean – after meeting them online.

In September 2022, French was sentenced to four years and 10 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years and six months after pleading guilty to one count of aggravated producing and two counts of possessing child exploitation material.

After investigating and charging French, officers from the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team then found videos of Iasiello saved to French’s electronic devices.

“(French) introduced you to fantasy role play that involved fictional girls eight to 10 years and younger,” Chief Judge Michael Evans said in sentencing on Wednesday.

“French would instruct you to create videos of yourself masturbating while you were describing the fantasy behaviour. You sent those videos to French through Snapchat ‘snaps’, which generally disappear after being viewed.

“French, however, used a third party recording application to record the videos and save them to the gallery on their mobile phone.”

Chris Iasiello was jailed after disseminating child exploitation material. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Iasiello, who is understood to have worked in the entertainment and production industry until his offending came to light, pleaded guilty to three counts of disseminating child exploitation material after he was arrested in July 2022.

Chief Judge Evans said Iasiello had sent French eight videos, but he was only charged for three of those videos.

“The first video goes for 25 seconds and was sent on 17 July, 2019. The second video goes to 24 seconds, and was sent on 20 July, 2019. The third count is the third video, which goes for 36 seconds and was sent on 19 March 2020,” he said.

Chief Judge Evans said Iasiello had started watching adult pornography at the age of 12, and had been “boundary testing” when he met French.

Jayda Dean, formerly Josh Dean French, is serving a four year prison sentence for child sex offences. Pictures: Instagram

Iasiello will be eligible for parole in September 2025. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

“You started exploring transsexual connection and experimented with sadomasochistic behaviour,” he said.

“You told (a psychologist) that you were attracted to French’s instructions to create videos of yourself masturbating whilst describing fantasy behaviour targeted towards children.

You said that you ended your relationship with French as you no longer found it stimulating or appealing and found it increasingly shameful. You denied viewing, collecting or engaging with any child exploitation material gain.”

Chief Judge Evans said the need for general deterrence meant Iasiello could not be given a good behaviour bond, and imprisonment was the only suitable punishment.

He jailed him for 14 months, with a non parole period of 11 months and seven days.

Originally published as Audio engineer Christopher John Iasiello jailed for sending sexually explicit Snapchats to known predator Josh Dean French