A CHILD sexual predator who groped a 15-year-old girl, sent her sexual messages on Snapchat and offered to pay her to go on a date with him and send nude photographs has been sentenced to five years in jail.
Daniel Nean, who also goes by Daniel James Kilby, owns takeaway shops in Raymond Terrace and Clarence Town - where he first met the victim.
At Raymond Terrace Local Court on Tuesday, magistrate Kirralee Perry said these types of offences wouldn't be tolerated under any circumstances.
"I take into account the purposes of sentencing in terms of denunciation, punishment, and pause to reflect on the impact on each and every one of the victims before me," she said.
"The youngest was 15, the eldest 20 and I have no doubt each of these offences will have a long-lasting, detrimental impact on their lives."
The court heard Nean had driven a victim to work on three occasions, asking for her Snapchat, talking to her about nude photographs and making other sexual comments.
The victim tried to shut down the conversation, but it didn't stop Nean from inappropriately touching her on the leg, asking her if she wanted to make extra money with nude photographs and offering to pay her $500 to send them.
He also encouraged her to be deceptive and sneak out of home, offering to pay her to go on a date with him, to send a photo of her 'V' [sic] on Snapchat and sent her hundreds of messages - about half of which were sexually inappropriate.
The court heard Nean had previously been convicted and jailed for child sex offences and was considered to be at "high-risk" for re-offending.
In a number of handwritten notes submitted in court, Nean detailed apparent issues with illicit drug and alcohol abuse that "skewed his reality".
He wrote about a number of traumatic events including allegedly being attacked by white supremacists in custody, a childhood marred by domestic violence and drug use, a child sexual assault, 67 head injuries and panic attacks.
Magistrate Perry said Nean was either a "compulsive liar with a fantastical, wild imagination" or had remembered and reflected on some absolutely traumatic events in his life.
"In the truth of this matter, I am unsure where the truth lies," she said.
She said she found it hard to believe he could have operated two takeaway shops, a gaming company and trucking company while abusing drugs and alcohol at the level he described.
As a result she said she would not reduce his moral culpability in the matter.
Nean was sentenced to a total jail term of five years, backdated until March, 2022 when he was arrested for the offences.
He will be eligible for release in December, 2025.
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