Officer’s porn secret
TYSON Franklin had it all – a promising career, popularity and a newly-minted appointment as an army reserve officer. Then he threw it all away with his dark appetite.
Tyson Bryan Anthony Franklin, now 26, was a paedophile and had known it since he was 18.
His predilection for preteen girls saw him download more than 2000 child porn images averaging to three times a day, every day over the course of one year and nine months between February 2017 and November last year.
Cairns District Court yesterday heard Franklin told police he did not seek professional help “because he could not tell people about it.”
“The thoughts were always in his head since he was a teenager,” crown prosecutor Claudia Georgouras said.
Perversely, Franklin rationalised his behaviour to interviewing officers.
“(He said) ‘rape fantasy is something that most guys could agree with’,” Ms Georgouras told the court.
The court heard Franklin viewed links including but not limited to “ten year old jail bait twins” and “tied up young girls”.
“There is nothing to suggest he would have ceased of his own volition,” Ms Georgouras said.
Once charged, Franklin had his podiatry licence suspended.
His burgeoning army career was also extinguished, his behaviour flying in the face of Australian Army values of integrity and moral courage.
“The offending caused the career that he created to come to an end,” Josh Trevino, defending, said.
He told the court his client’s depraved inclinations were influenced by an upbringing in which he was exposed to abuse.
A pre-sentence report described Franklin’s behaviour as “pathological” and showing traits of paedophilia.
“It was explained by underlying mental health ... an outcome of not being courageous enough to seek help,” Judge Dean Morzone said.
He said Franklin’s “vile conduct” perpetuated an industry “there only for feeding (a) deplorable demand”.
He ordered that Franklin serve a two-year communitybased probation order.
“I have no doubt you will be able to manage your desires, if not eliminate them,” he said.