Twist in kiddie-porn game
Police seize offender’s online account in bid to track down other perpetrators
A MAN who created disturbing computer-generated child exploitation images on an online game had his account seized by police in order to track other offenders.
Matthew Scot Thompson, 22, faced Judge Gregory Lynham in Townsville District Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child exploitation material and one count of distributing child exploitation material.
The court was told that on February 28, 2021, police searched Thompson’s family home after tracking an IP address to an email account, linked to the access of child exploitation material (CEM).
Officers found 35 photos of a boy aged 12 to 14 crouching on the floor, exposing his genitalia, as well as 19 videos with the same child engaged in sexual acts. Logs on his phone showed Thompson sent two of the videos through messaging app Telegram on March 16, 2020.
Police found Thompson was “heavily involved” in a computer animation game in which he generated images of children engaged in child exploitation acts. A total of 745 computer-generated images of that nature were found on his computer.
The court heard the animated children were aged between 13 to 15.
Thompson handed over his account details to police. The court was told they would use the account to identify other potential offenders.
A psychiatrist’s report tendered to the court showed Thompson had a diagnosis of autism, as well as an intellectual impairment, and possible ADHD.
Thompson’s barrister Claire Grant said he was completely dependent on his parents, and that his conditions had contributed to his decision making during the offending. She said he had enrolled in a sex offenders program. The court heard that because of Thompson’s conditions, his moral culpability in the offending was reduced.
Judge Gregory Lynham told Thompson he was “lucky” that his parents had not abandoned him after finding out he had been “secretly accessing” CEM. Taking into account his conditions and lack of criminal history, he sentenced Thompson to 18 months’ jail, wholly suspended for three years. “Next time … you will go to jail, regardless of your psychiatric condition,” Judge Lynham said.