A SWAN Hill sexual predator who sent sexually explicit messages and photos to a 10-year-old girl via Snapchat has pleaded guilty.
The offender, aged 32 at the time, pleaded guilty in the County Court in Mildura to three charges of failure to comply with reporting obligations, use carriage service to groom a person under 16 years of age to engage in sexual activity, and use carriage service to solicit child abuse material.
The court heard the victim, aged 10 at the time, resides in Tasmania with her mother.
On June 6 last year, Swan Hill police executed search warrants at the offender’s home address. The offender was not present at the address at the time, but was shortly after located at his workplace and arrested.
Police located and seized the offender’s mobile phone.
A preliminary search of the offender’s phone revealed saved images of the victim in the gallery. The offender made a “no comment” police interview.
During the offending and at the time of his arrest, the offender was on bail for “relevant offences” and subject to bail conditions restricting his use of mobile phones.
The offender is required to notify police of the name of any child he had contact with within 24 hours. The offender communicated online with the victim, who he knew from the outset was 10 years old.
On May 8, the offender sent a friend request via Snapchat to the victim, who accepted.
The communication between the offender and the victim occurred on Snapchat between May 8 and 14.
The victim identified herself as a 10-year-old girl and offender identified himself as a 10-year-old boy.
The offender audio called the victim, and repeatedly asked her to turn on her camera.
The victim refused and disconnected the call.
The offender sent multiple messages to the victim telling her to call him back.
The offender audio called the victim the following day, and the victim asked the offender why he called. The offender stated: “I just want to talk to you, that’s all”.
The victim disconnected the call, and the offender sent multiple messages asking her to call him back.
The victim audio called the offender, and stated, “Will you be my girlfriend?”
In a Snapchat group chat with the victim and the offender, the victim’s friend asked the offender why he wanted to keep calling the victim.
The offender said, “I just want her (the victim) to be my girlfriend”.
The bombardment of sexualised messages and videos continued.
The offender has been in custody since the day of the arrest.
He will be sentenced mid-August.
