Christopher Greenwood, 38, of Mooroopna, pleaded guilty in the County Court to two counts of possessing child abuse material, transmitting child abuse material, possessing methamphetamines and possessing cannabis.
Police found 2164 files containing child abuse material – 697 of which were duplicates – on Greenwood’s phone after searching his home on December 22, 2022.
They also found methamphetamines, cannabis and a Samsung phone with 10 files containing child abuse material after searching his home on May 9, 2024.
The files contained real children and computer-generated material.
Of all the files, two images and one video were identified as category one, or the worst under the Interpol Baseline Scale, and two images and one video were identified as category two.
Greenwood sent seven images containing child abuse material on Facebook Messenger to a co-accused between November 13 and 15, 2024.
The general nature of the exchange was for the purpose of sexual gratification, and messages predominantly referred to young people in a sexual context.
In sentencing Greenwood, Judge Daniel Holding said the material in the significant number of files was “highly depraved” and depicted the most terrible exploitation of children.
Judge Holding said Greenwood’s interest created a market, noting he’d told a psychologist he thought he could make money by selling it.
He accepted Greenwood’s mental health issues, and a “deprived background”, experiencing instability, contributing to drug and alcohol issues.
Judge Holding also noted Greenwood’s early plea, lack of prior offending, moderate persistent depressive disorder, anxiety and mild personality disorder.
He sentenced Greenwood to 14 months in prison; however, he will be released after serving four months on a 30-month recognisance release order.
Conditions of the order include Greenwood be of good behaviour, engage in sex offender treatment, undergo assessment and treatment for mental health, and drug and alcohol abuse, and engage with corrections.
If he doesn’t meet conditions, he will have to pay $1000 and serve the rest of his prison sentence.
The 55 days he’s spent in custody will count as time already served.
Greenwood must comply with sex offender reporting obligations for the rest of his life.
He was also fined $350 for possessing the drugs.
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