Mark Coombs, 56, pleaded guilty in Shepparton County Court to using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, using a carriage service to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself, attempting to use a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service.
Coombs had “chats” with six different users in the encrypted messaging service Telegram, sending or receiving a total of 650 files between June 17 and August 6, 2021.
The files he sent included 540 photos and 74 videos.
The files showed sexual abuse of pubescent and pre-pubescent children aged mainly under 13 years, but as young as under five years.
Coombs also tried to send four more files to other users.
The court heard Coombs also requested and received 46 child abuse files from other users, which included children as young as two or three years old.
In jailing Coombs, Judge Wendy Wilmoth said the files showed “particular depravity”.
“Children were the victims of insidious internet crime,” Judge Wilmoth said of the photos and videos.
“We need to deter perpetrators and protect vulnerable children.”
Judge Wilmoth noted that a psychologist had said Coombs, who lived in the Seymour area, was a “socially anxious man with limited social skills”.
She also said he had subjected to physical punishment at home while growing up and been bullied at school, resulting in a lot of anxiety, low self-esteem and low social inhibitions.
Coomb’s defence solicitor Bec Park said the offending occurred during the COVID-19 times, with “isolation and loneliness” the reason for the offending, despite her client still working as a delivery driver for a hardware store during that time.
Judge Wilmoth said the charges were very serious, but noted he had no prior convictions.
“Children are abused and exploited by the creation of (abuse) material and they should be protected,” she said.
Judge Wilmoth sentenced Coombs to 15 months in prison, but ruled that after nine months had been served he be released on a $1000 recognisance release order to be of good behaviour for two years.
This means that if he re-offends in that two years he will forfeit the $1000 and will go back to prison to serve the entire 15 months.
It also means he will be under the supervision of authorities for the first six months after his release.
Coombs was also put on the sex offenders’ list for life.
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