A Mooroopna man was caught in a police sting after performing a sexual act online in front of an undercover police officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl.
Nathan Castillo, 27, pleaded guilty in Shepparton County Court to using a carriage service to procure a person believed to be aged under 16 to engage in sexual activity with him, and using a carriage service to attempt to engage in sexual activity with a child under 16 years.
He also pleaded guilty to a summary charge of possessing prohibited weapons.
The court heard that Castillo contacted the Western Australian undercover officer online on Chat IW — a site that the defence said was an adult site “for singles to meet” — on November 19, 2022.
Prosecutor Holly Baxter said after Castillo said he was 26, the undercover officer told Castillo she was “14, almost 15” to which he replied “oh, so young”.
When their chat moved to Google chat and later a video call, the pair swapped selfies and Castillo told her if she “weren’t so young she could come over and they could chill and have some fun”, Ms Baxter said.
Castillo then requested a nude photo, but was not sent one.
While the undercover officer told him her camera was not working on her computer, Castillo told her she should get naked before he masturbated on screen.
On January 17, 2023, Castillo again requested a naked photo.
The prosecutor said in another chat on January 25, 2023, Castillo again asked the undercover officer to send him nude photos of herself, and when she reminded him he was “heaps older” he said “that’s okay. I like that”.
When the undercover officer refused to send any photos or to take off her clothes, Castillo called her a liar for saying her camera was not working and threatened to “send a recording” of the call to her school and mother.
When police searched his Mooroopna home on June 28 last year, they found a set of three throwing knives and a machete, which are prohibited weapons.
Castillo’s barrister Angela Sharpley said her client had not targeted an online site where children were, rather had gone on a site for over-18s.
She said Castillo was truthful about his age and the selfie he sent was of himself.
“There was no attempt to hide his identification,” Ms Sharpley said.
She also said her client had no criminal history.
The defence barrister also told the court her client was brought up in a “strict” household by his father and step-mother, where discipline included being hit, having cold showers, having food withheld and sleeping in the garage.
In jailing Castillo, Judge Geoffrey Chettle said the conversations were clearly restricted to online, as Castillo had told the girl he was located in Perth, despite sending the messages from his home in the Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne, where he was actually living at the time.
There was also no “real” young victim in the crimes, the judge said.
Judge Chettle described Castillo’s offences as “raw, basic and unsophisticated” given that he used his own name.
The judge noted Castillo had been close to finalising a nursing course and that he would not be able to work in that field now, and said he took that into account as extra punishment he had received.
Castillo was jailed for four years, and will have to serve two years and six months before becoming eligible for parole.
He will also be registered under the Sex Offenders Registration Act for 15 years.