Tasmania sex offenders: Richard Mark Blackwell, 31, sentenced for grooming 14yo girl

A dad who sent lewd messages to a teenage girl saying he might “bend her over” has escaped jail time after arguing he’d sent them because he was “stressed” about his son’s health. DETAILS >

Supreme Court of Tasmania, Salamanca Place, Hobart, Tasmania. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Richard Jupe

A dad who sent lewd messages to a teenage girl saying he might “bend her over” has escaped jail time after arguing he’d sent them because he was “stressed” about his son’s health.

Soon to be father-of-three Richard Mark Blackwell, 31, was described as a “responsible family man” by Chief Justice Blow during his sentencing in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on Tuesday.

Blackwell had pleaded guilty to a count of grooming with intent to procure a young person for sexual abuse.

The court was told that on or about June 1, 2019 – when Blackwell was aged 27 – he reached out to a 14-year-old girl and messaged her a picture on Snapchat where an erection could be seen through the pant leg of his trackpants.

When the girl did not reply, he sent two more pictures which exposed his bare stomach and chest.

Richard Mark Blackwell, 31, was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Tasmania for grooming a 14yo girl.

The next day he sent her a message telling her he would drive her home if she “gave (him)” oral sex.

“I might even bend you over and f--k you in the back of my 4x4,” a further message read.

“What’s your cup size?”.

The girl later blocked him.

Blackwell declined to be interviewed by police in November 2020, and it was not until August 2022 that he was arrested.

The girl’s victim impact statement was read to the court.

“I was so young, only 14, and I didn’t know what was happening,” she wrote.

The girl said she was so affected that she spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse that culminated in a suicide attempt.

In court, Blackwell’s lawyer told Chief Justice Blow of their client’s “very poor” childhood, and noted he had been in a relationship for six years with his partner expecting their third child.

The lawyer said at the time of the offending, Blackwell had been “experiencing significant personal stress as result of ongoing medical appointments” for their son, who had then yet not been formally diagnosed with autism.

They said Blackwell had been through an “endless stream of various service providers” and that he was “frustrated” knowing he could not get any help.

It was also heard Blackwell had depleted his superannuation to pay for a surgery for his son.

Despite his stress, the lawyer said Blackwell was “not adequately able” to explain why he had sent the messages – and that he had been chased out of his former job over the offending.

“He says he has no sexual interest in young people and had no actual intent to meet up with her,” the lawyer said.

Blackwell’s actions were described as out of character by his lawyer. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Richard Jupe

“(He) is remorseful and admits what he did was wrong.”

Chief Justice Blow said what Blackwell, a “responsible family man” had done was “out of character”.

“You are a dedicated and hardworking father, and you were in 2019 when you sent (the messages), were going through a very difficult time, and you engaged in conduct that was absolutely out of character, at a stage where you were apparently very depressed.”

Justice Blow said he thought it was unlikely that Blackwell would ever “do anything like that again” but that he would place his name on the sex offender’s registry for two years – but that he won’t require Blackwell to report for “very long”.

“If I were to send you to prison the impact on your family would be terrible,” he said.

Blackwell was sentenced to two months jail, wholly suspended for one year.