A paedophile who was jailed for filming a child in the bathroom of his Wendouree home has returned to court for accessing images from the same video after his release from prison.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The County Court heard Timothy Glen Watts, 33, had completed a sex offender's treatment program in jail for the 2017 conviction relating to the video, but this had not prevented him from returning to the material and reoffending.
"There is, in my submission, an indication of insight by Mr Watts in that he notes he [gained] very useful tools from the sex offender program while in custody," defence for Watts told the court.
"Those tools were left in custody.
"Perhaps if he had carried forward what he'd learned he wouldn't find himself [here]."
Watts pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge of accessing child abuse material and two charges of possessing child abuse material for the offending from August 8, 2021, to September 29, 2021 where Watts was found to have accessed 46 screenshots taken from the video relating to his earlier conviction.
An analysis of Watts' mobile phone and tablet also showed on 918 separate occasions he had accessed nine different folders, which contained a collective 13,087 child abuse material files including unidentified children in various states of undress and engaging in sexual acts with adult men.
Watts also faced one charge of failing to comply with a 36-month good behaviour order that was put in place as part of his 2017 sentence.
He had been sentenced to 24 months' jail before the order commenced and was released from custody in October, 2020.
The court heard Watts received supervision solely by phone due to COVID-19 conditions upon his release.
Both the prosecution and defence for Watts agreed no sentence other than a period in jail was appropriate, but disagreed for how long.
Watts' defence told the court custody conditions throughout the pandemic should result in a discount on his sentence.
But prosecution for the Crown said this discount was not automatic.
The court heard the maximum penalty for each charge was 15 years' imprisonment and mandatory sentencing requirements due to Watts' criminal history meant the minimum jail term for the charges was four years.
Prosecution said Watts was a risk given his continued reoffending despite the completion of the sex offender program, and had admitted to being sexually attracted to female children and aroused by the abuse material.
"In a record of interview the accused made a number of admissions," the prosecutor said.
"He admitted the tablet and mobile were his ... he'd been on the internet for 'that kind of stuff'."
The court also heard Watts had searched for 'hardcore' child abuse material.
"We're dealing with offending of over 13,000 child [abuse material] images," the prosecutor said.
"918 occasions of access over a lengthy period - on any view that is serious offending.
"This is a case where your honour will be giving extra weight to specific deterrence because of the priors."
The matter will return to court for sentencing on August 29.
- Affected by this story? There is help available. You can phone the Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, in Sebastopol, on 5320 3933, or free-call the crisis care line 24 hours on 1800 806 292. Or phone Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
Now just one tap with our new app. Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Courier. See how to download it below:
