A Wimmera man has been sentenced to three years and three months in jail after being convicted of child abuse and bestiality offences.
Daniel Alan Crute, 44, pleaded guilty to nine charges and was sentenced in the County Court today.
The Dadswells Bridge man transmitted and solicited images, videos, and desires to have sex with children over chats on various platforms between 2017 and 2021.
Speaking during the sentencing, Judge Geoffrey Chettle said Crute's comments on the platforms were "unbelievably degenerate and disgusting".
"Your offending is serious. Bestiality carries a maximum penalty of five years and each of the other offences, 15-year maximum penalties," he said.
"You need to understand that the transmission and receipt of child abuse material involves real victims.
"In this case, your conduct appears to have incited offending against a child."
Judge Chettle said it was clear Crute would be required to complete a sex offender's course while in custody.
"I can only hope that such a course will promote your future rehabilitation and reduce the risk of sexual offending," he said.
"Your online name 'BIPD' (bi-pedo) is clearly a concerning matter."
But Judge Chettle also noted that Crute's pleas of guilty to the nine charges entitled him to a sentence reduction, given the court remained backlogged from COVID-19 delays.
Hard to determine risk of reoffending, report finds
In sentencing, Judge Chettle told the court he had arranged for psychiatrist David Thomas to assess Crute.
Quoting from Dr Thomas's report, Judge Chettle told the court Crute said his online comments about sexually assaulting the children of former partners were just a story he told to make people happy, and that child abuse in fact repulsed him.
"In paragraph 25 of the report, Crute denied ever having sex or any interest in children," Judge Chettle read.
Judge Chettle quoted from Dr Thomas's report that Crute was saddened and disgusted by his offending, telling the psychiatrist, "If I could change history, I certainly would."
The court heard Crute had no substance abuse, mental illness or personality disorders.
The psychologist said it was impossible to accurately determine Crute's risk of reoffending due to the lack of available detailed tools to assess internet-only child sex offenders.
While the available methods of assessing such offenders put Crute at low risk of reoffending, the psychiatrist said his opinion was that Crute's risk was higher given his "significant degree of preoccupation with sexually deviant thoughts, and a fascination with interest in adults engaging in sexual activity with children".
Crute was sentenced to three years and three months in prison, and will be eligible for parole late next year.
The court heard he had already served 188 days of pre-sentence detention.
