A Mooroopna man who thought he was talking with a 14-year-old girl online, but was actually conversing with an undercover police officer, has pleaded guilty in the County Court to sexual offending.
Christopher Lee Ferguson, 29, of Mooroopna, pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to procure a person believed to be under 16 years of age and to using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material.
Prosecutor Shivani Pillai told the court Ferguson had used a social media app called Kik under the name ‘Tim Tam’ to message the profile of a 14-year-old girl, identified as ‘Lucy’, between July and December 2020.
‘Lucy’ was actually an undercover police operative conducting covert online duties as part of the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team.
The messages began on July 18, when Ferguson asked ‘Lucy’ if she wanted to “meet up for some fun”.
A few days later ‘Lucy’ replied, asking if he cared that she was 14, which he responded to by asking to see a photo of her.
During the following months, Ferguson requested ‘Lucy’ to engage in sexual activity numerous times, sent sexualised messages and asked her to send him explicit photos on two occasions.
Police executed a search warrant on December 21, 2020, and seized a phone that had his account logged in on the Kik app.
The court heard he admitted to police that having a conversation about sex with a person under 16 was wrong, “because they’re still kids”.
Ferguson’s lawyer Travis Brown told the court Ferguson lived with his uncle in Mooroopna and had experienced significant trauma in his early childhood.
He referenced a report on Ferguson’s mental state and submitted that a neuropsychological report be completed for the court to have a clear picture of the extent of his impairments.
Judge Peter Lauritsen remanded Ferguson to appear before the court at a later date and extended bail while funding was applied for a psychological assessment.
The case continues in the County Court.