‘Daddy’s girl’: Predator who groomed teenage girls on social media apps sent to jail

A Tassie man in his 30s has been locked up in Risdon Prison after grooming four underage girls on social media apps, cajoling them into sending him explicit images. LATEST FROM COURT >

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A PREDATORY Claremont man who groomed underage girls on social media apps for his sexual gratification will spend at least 15 months behind bars.

Samuel Christopher Norris, 33, used the monikers “Mike” and “Santa Clause” (sic) on Snapchat and WhatsApp between 2019 and 2020 to prey on young girls, the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard on Friday.

While sentencing, Acting Justice David Porter said Norris encouraged the girls to call him “daddy” to heighten his sense of control and dominance.

Samuel Christopher Norris leaves the Hobart Magistrates Court in January.

He said the four victims ranged in age from 14 to 16, with two from Tasmania, one from NSW and one from the United States – with each “cajoled” by Norris into sending him explicit images and videos.

One of the victims had sent Norris a photo of herself with “daddy’s girl” and “15 today” written on her body.

When police searched Norris’ home in June 2020, they found thousands of messages – containing hundreds of images and videos – had been shared between Norris and his four victims.

Acting Justice Porter said Norris had become jealous and controlling while communicating with the girls, telling them he loved them and sending images and videos of himself naked and masturbating.

He exhibited controlling behaviour, pressuring one girl into giving him her Snapchat password, communicating with her friends to tell them she was his girlfriend, and blocking other males online.

Samuel Christopher Norris.

In her victim impact statement, one of the girls said her life has “now totally changed” and that she was generally fearful for her safety.

Norris told a psychologist his sexual interest in adolescent, teenage girls had grown after he’d accessed illicit materials, then found himself searching for more immoral material “in order to reach arousal”.

The judge noted Norris’ criminal behaviour had elements of control and dominance, with the “targeting of victims who may be submissive and easy to manipulate”.

He described Norris’ behaviour as predatory, with mature adults who prey on “vulnerable young people for sexual gratification” as of great concern to the community.

“The defendant’s conduct was deliberate, persistent and coercive,” he said.

“The disparity of age is high. Actual harm has been caused.”

Norris pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child exploitation material and four counts of involving a child or young person under 18 in the production of child exploitation material.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of grooming a child or young person with the intention of exposing them to indecent material.

Acting Justice Porter sentenced him to a jail term of three years and three months, with nine months suspended.

Norris must serve half of his operational term – or one year and six months – before he is eligible for parole.

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