Steven Makins jailed for procuring a child for sexual activity on Kik app

A predator firefighter is behind bars after a judge slammed his “unbelievable” evidence that he was not sexually aroused while grooming multiple children online.

A predator volunteer firefighter is behind bars after a judge slammed his “unbelievable” evidence that he was not sexually aroused while grooming children online.

Steven Makins, 35, claimed that he didn’t remember any of the vile online conversations he had with children where he asked them for explicit photographs.

During sentencing on Wednesday, the District Court heard Makins communicated through the Kik app with three children, aged 13 or 14, who were actually undercover police officers.

The court heard Makins sent the children sexualised messages over months, including asking one whether she wanted to chat about “naughty stuff” and requesting explicit photographs.

He also asked one child “do you ever feel horny?” and whether she was a virgin.

Steven Makins was jailed for grooming children online. Photo: Facebook

Makins pleaded guilty to four counts of communicating with the intention of procuring a child for sexual activity.

The offences were committed between September 2019 and June 2022 in the northern suburbs.

When Makins was arrested in June, he denied communicating with underage girls.

The court heard Makins turned to communicating with people on Kik after his relationship with his wife began to suffer.

“You used the (Kik) application as an escape and a distraction from a relationship in which you felt unwanted,” Judge Carmen Matteo said.

Makins previously gave evidence that he claimed not to remember the conversations with the children as he deleted the app regularly.

He also said that he was not sexually aroused during the conversations, which Judge Matteo said lacked insight into his offending.

“In my assessment you gave some contrived and unbelievable evidence on this topic,” Judge Matteo said.

“In a particularly stunning denial you went so far as to suggest that the entity who you were corresponding with who stated that she was bored and that it was almost lunch at school may have been an adult at school.”

Judge Matteo said she found Makins’ evidence to be “deliberately false”, and that he was sexually motivated and aroused by the conversations.

The court heard Makins, a father, had been in the Country Fire Service for 20 years and became a senior firefighter.

Judge Matteo sentenced Makins to one year and 10 months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and six months.

Originally published as Steven Makins jailed for procuring a child for sexual activity on Kik app