A Brisbane club soccer coach who posed as a sexy teen
called “Sarah” has been sentenced to three years’ jail for tricking teenage boys into sexting him naked selfies via the social network Snapchat.
The Courier-Mail reports that Stephen Gunn, now 24, also used messaging app Kik to send child porn images to an American teen who told him they were in “grade ten” at a US school.
In the District Court in Brisbane before Judge Julie Ryrie, Gunn pleaded guilty to 31 charges including nine counts of procuring sexual acts by false pretence, seven counts of indecent treatment of children under 16 and six counts of making child porn.
According to The Courier-Mail, his victims were aged between 14 and 17 and were members of the soccer club entrusted to Gunn’s care by their parents.
Crown prosecutor James Marxson told the court that Gunn showed “a certain level of premeditation and planning” by “initiating” and “promoting” the sexual exchanges via Snapchat and manipulating the victims to send him naked selfies.
Mr Marxson said Gunn then “catalogued” the pornographic selfies on USB sticks.
He tricked four boys aged, between 14 and 17, into sexting him pornographic selfies via Snapchat, and he tricked five boys into sending nine selfies of themselves in other sexual poses.
He also admitted making child porn by taking “screenshots” of the sexts sent to him by four victims, aged 14 to 15.
Gunn, who lived on-site at the club, was busted after he was sacked by the soccer club in mid-2015.
When he returned his work laptop to the club, the club secretary found child porn images and reported it to police.
Days later police found a trove of more than 446 child porn images and 11 videos on his six computer devices and USBs including four considered of the “worst category” portraying serious child abuse.
Gunn’s barrister Ruth O’Gorman
Told the court Gunn was lonely, depressed and trying to wrestle with his bisexuality.
He wrote a letter addressed to Judge Ryrie, apologising to his victims and their families.
Gunn, who was on a working visa from Edinburgh, Scotland, will be deported after he serves about nine months in prison.
His work visa was cancelled and he has been in immigration detention since December 17, 2015. He also served eight months in Arthur Gorrie prison on remand.
He will be deported after he serves about nine months in prison.
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