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Social media child predator jailed again

AAPEastern Reporter

A MAN who pretended to be a teenage boy on social media and convinced girls to perform sex acts, accumulating hundreds of indecent photos and videos, has been jailed in WA for four-and-a-half years.

The 32-year-old man, whose name is suppressed, used platforms such as Snapchat, LiveMe and TikTok to befriend the victims, who were aged 12 to 14, then encouraged them to perform the acts on themselves or other children.

He would save images without their knowledge but said, after his arrest, about 40 per cent would provide them willingly.

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He used multiple usernames including “nextmodelisyou”, pretending to be a modelling agency.

When he communicated with an undercover policewoman who pretended to be aged 13, he wrote: “I wish I could kiss you. I don’t care how old you are. I still love you”.

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Camera IconStock image. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

The District Court of WA heard he then sent her a link to a female of unknown age masturbating and offered to meet her at a shopping centre so her “parents wouldn’t know”.

When he was caught, he made full admissions, saying he “felt lonely” but didn’t seek adult relationships for fear of rejection and felt more comfortable in the company of girls.

The offending became an addiction and escalated, the court heard.

The former supermarket worker was jailed for similar crimes in 2014 and 2016.

“You are therefore a recidivist,” Judge Linda Petrusa said.

He had an opportunity to take part in a sex offender program last time he was in jail but didn’t take it, so the judge urged him to seek help this time.

He will be eligible for parole after serving two-and-a-half years.

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