10 May 2007

Aaron James Holiday gives male child care workers a bad name

| johnboy
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AAP, via News, informs us that “Aaron James Holliday, 21, was arrested at his Civic apartment yesterday after police allegedly found more than 50,000 images of child pornography and video files stored on his computers.” Police interest had allegedly been raised after a report he committed an “indecency in front of a 12-year-old boy” last year.

Now, can someone explain what exactly a “self-employed childcare worker” is?

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G said :

The information I have been given is that the family making the bogus allegations has boxes and boxes of pornographic material in there possession which apparently has been shown to this 12year old boy on numerous occasions. I think it is more aaron who was trusting, trusting that decent people still existed, not paople who would stab him in the back with false accusations just to serve their own perverted interests

Its a pity those who were so quick to rubbish the victim & his family aren’t so quick to retract..they’ve had to wait all this time for an end to their nightmare – and Aaron still managed to offend again in the meantime.

I see he got 14 years for his efforts – or given the minimum sentence is 7 years, most probably that.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/14-years-jail-for-child-sex-abuser/2007519.aspx

Oh G, have I waited for this day!

“Aaron James Holliday pleaded guilty to committing sexual offences against three children whom he befriended between 2006 and 2009”

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/abuser-collected-pictures-while-in-custody/1998282.aspx

“A Canberra court has heard a man who sexually abused young boys by running a fake training program, has little understanding of how his actions affected his victims.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/11/3063185.htm

Interesting that now the same man is accused of child sex offences.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/26/2581394.htm

I used to work with Aaron and considered him my friend. He gave me lifts home on a couple of occassions and interacted with my kids. Looks like I need to change my position.
I still find it very hard to believe he could have done this although the evidence seems to be mounting.
Out of interest WozI, were you in court? Did you see the evidence? Or are you seeing this on the web somewhere, and if so where? I’d like to see it for myself

I note Aaron appeared in Court again on Thursday and dropped his application for bail – perhaps this reflects a realisation that the case against him is very strong. Also note there were more charges – including a $23000 theft dating back to 2004! The information disclosed in court so far has been very, very worrying and paints a picture of a (potentially)very disturbed young man. Haven’t heard much from the aaron fan club of late – certainly not since his last couple of court appearances. Wondering if there has been a realisation that there really is no innocent explanation for what has been alleged? Will we see an apology – or at least a retraction – for the slurs levelled at the victim and their family? I doubt it – G, Arlyurl and others are probably too busy trying to remove both their feet from their mouths.

I see young Aaron didn’t get bail and police have laid fresh charges.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1939520.htm

I note that there have been further potential victims.

Where there’s smoke, sometimes there is a bushfire.

How can anyone assume the worst in people, people they do not know, have never met and probably wont.

I agree that for cases like this, is the reason we no longer see many male teachers, males over females are not selected in child care centres regardless of qualifications, and usually you call up the neighbours daughter or the girl down the street to baby-sit tonight because your other sitter (who happens to be a woman) has taken ill or cant make it.

I have never met Aaron, but am associated with those who know him. I am a very positive and protective person who is too trusting also, perhaps think the best in everyone, that all are trustworthy until proven untrustworthy. This has caught me out a few times, but i am positive that there are great people in this world, people like Aaron, who have had a past themselves, and want to better others lives because of it. He has made a decision to be someone who will take care of kids as they deserve a happy and full life, away from harm and pain, a possible experience of his own childhood. He works for a greater good.

As for working in IT, this means nothing. I work in IT, but i know little to nothing on configuration and viruses, let alone getting rid of them and how they work, only that they suck and there are people in this world who think its funny to disguise rubbish and trojan it onto an innocent file. Working in IT does not specify you know anything much about computers. Most i have learnt is on the job training, but take me out of that environment and all i can do is access internet and type up my assignments. I think once i even added a printer to my network. (GOSH).

Give the bloke a break, give everyone a break. No one can judge.

If everyone wants to be naive then go right ahead, but being unbiased is a beautiful thing.

The justice system is not always right. Up until recently, stats show that close to 500 people have been set free from charges after 5-30 years inprisonment, who have been found innocent. The ‘justice’ system has failed many good people, and as sad as this is to admit, it may well fail again. No one will know until the jugde gives the final verdit, in a court hearing which is in the future. And unless you can tell what will happen, pull your head in.

I hope for Aaron that truth is the verdict. I hope for the child involved that his allegation is truth, not attention seeking. For if Aaron is convicted and this was all a lie, not only Aaron’s life will be ruined. The child will one day bear the full brunt of guilt of his lie, and the utter destruction one lie can cause. Not only to his own self, but to a friend (until this allegation) and to his family. No parent would knowingly and intentionally put their child through a case such as this, so i hope there is some damn good reasons.

As for releasing Aaron’s name, if this all turns out to be a lie and Aaron is let go, the police are in the firing line, they would not do such a thing hastily, there must be an ends to the mean.

I personally know the value and meaning of friendship, even recent events for my needs and the needs of others, a friend is there to call on in times of need, and so am I. In the words of that famous song “you can lean on me, when you’re not strong, i’ll be there, just lean on me, and we can carry on”. When all else fails, if you have a friend, you are richer than many people in this world. It is a comforting feeling when you go to sleep, knowing there is someone out there who believes in you, know loves you, and will stand by you.

I give my regards to all of Aaron’s friends and family, do not give up hope, for without hope, you dont have much.

Stay positive, keep your friends close by, the support network is vital. It is this that Aaron will need also if he is to slip back into the cruel society we find ourselves in.

Most importantly, what will happen will happen, we can do our best to help, but the ultimate decision is out of our hands. You cannot change it, nor stop it, so dont try.

Privacy act…

Be Strong. It’ll all turn out in the end.

Thats correct. He’s remanded in custody until next Thursday when I believe he’ll be applying for bail.

Think he is in court again next week and will be asking for bail.

Does anyone know what happened in Court today with him? I see he was in for mentions on both cases.

Also, if he does have these images on his computer he isn’t going to tell you; otherwise his defence council would kill him themselves….!!!

There wouldn’t be a point going to trial.

I’m not the most technologically literate person in the world, but my understanding of the Internet is that those sorts of images will only come through on a virus if it has detected that someone using that computer has accessed a pron site at one time or other. I’ve had a couple of viruses in the past but nothing like that and I ensure that I run anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti- anything I need regularly.

I didn’t say that the police had said anything about the picture of me and my daughter, the police do not care about it at all, as is expected. The point was that people are speculating that he has pictures of toddlers and as I said BASED on what aaron has said, and yes that technically does not make it true but people who don’t even know aaron saying he has toddler pictures on his computer definantly doesn’t make it true. From knowing aaron no I don’t think aaron would tell me if he had those pictures on his computer but he would not deny so perfusely, of his own free will without even being asked, that he did not have them.

So the police have gone to paper over a picture of your daughter and yourself – fully clothed? Very unlikely – the DPP would’ve pissed it off if there wasn’t a reasonable chance of conviction. It is admirable that you believe Aaron, but do you think that if he did have the images, that he would tell you?

Just a note for people talking about toddler pictures, It has been asured to me by aaron that to his knowledge there is only 1 picture on his computers of a toddler, my daughter, and I am in the photo aswell and we are both fully dressed.

And for those of us not geeky enough to maser Linux, MacOS X paired with something like ‘Little Snitch’ does a fine job too.

i sympathise with aaron in this situation, had people not realised what was going to come from allegations made against me, and spoken to the person who made them, only to fnd that it was said because she was angry with me, i would be in much the same place.

i wont comment on the child porn, because i dont know if this is true, and if so, how true it is. it could be as little as two images of girls that look like they might be younger than 16or it could be as much as 50k images of toddlers, either way, i am not going to judge him.

lets leave it to the court system to do that.

and as far as all the virus stuff goes, the sooner people make the switch to linux, the sooner viruses will be abolished. whats the point of having a computer if you get 50 virus warnings every time you click a link?

What’s this world coming too…

As importantly you owe it to others to secure your machine because an 0wn3d box will be used to conduct more crime via your internet connection.

I have lots of computers too, but like everyone else I use the best antivirus/sypware/adware and firewall products and correctly made settings. I have not once got a virus, or any porn viruses!

You have to protect your computers correctly these days, for the fact people can steal your identity and banking details.

Even if my computer suspects something unidentified is happening, my software rectifies the problem, and nothing overcomes of it. Obviously you haven’t protected yourself very well…..

I have lots of computers at home, and I DO get viruses and unintentional porn downloads quite often, and I have all that firewall crap.

Arlyurl, that’s fine. I respect your opinion. Just give others the same.

No one can truly speculate innocence or guilt until the case is over.

However, I find it sad that this will tar not only Aaron but cause others to think twice about male carers – daycare workers, nannies, teachers.

I’m a friend that has seen other sides to him…
And nyssa76 you are completly right, I know things that would make me think otherwise the less of him. You other friends might see the other side to him that I never have; and i assure you that you don’t even know me or the dark side.

Ace i feel for your family and bless everyone of you, that you are safe and in good hands.

I really feel that he is guilty and cannot stand beside him for my own beliefs.

And JB you are right. Computer security is the up most thing to have on your PC. Aaron works with IT and i’d be more then sure he was protected with antivirus, spyware, adware and a firewall as he should. Also reported by the AFP was they took a couple of computers and other computer related objects.

We’re not following his word as a gospel, and we don’t believe his every word, but he says he’s innocent, and we do believe him on that.

Even if he isn’t, I’ll still support him though.

A true friend doesn’t follow your word as gospel.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if madman is a friend of Aaron’s then he is sharing his opinion still.

Irrespective of whether he is guilty or not, I highly doubt – given the publicity of it all – that they would have taken him into custody without cause.

JB’s right though – it’s called computer security. I download heaps and still not one problem with porn and I have 3 kids between 4-12.

It wasn’t G, it was me who said the family was messed up and drug addicted. It is what I have been told, but I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I was upset about one of the previous comments. I apologise Ace, I don’t want to offend people, and would have deleted the comment already if I could.

I agree with G about Madman though, how can you say you’re a friend, and then go and say crap about Aaron?! G and I have faith in him, and believe what he says is the truth about the situation.

yep someone out there probably thinks they are very funny and very cool for sending that shit through on a music download. They along with the family, if the allegations are bogus as I have been told, have completely destroyed a young mans life and all he represents. when I talked to him this week he was almost in tears and so destressed at what people would be thinking about him and saying about him, which is the main reason I have been saying so much and defending him, because it means so much to him.

well there’s a lesson in computer security then.

Its a damn shame aaron is not provided with the same privelage of having his name protected. Becuase if everything he says is true, and I DO beleive him, then he is the victim.

if you read what I said I was only saying that I have heard these things, not that they are true and that children do sometimes lie, so just because allegations have been made it does not necessarily mean he is guilty.

I have to agree with JB on this one, having a crack at the kid and his family is not the way to go. No one likes to get involved in these type of matters and G I’m sure Aaron is a good mate. I have a lot of mates in the child protection / police area and they reckon that no action is taken base just on the word of a child. There must be something else which I’m sure will come out in good time. But it’s good to see Aaron has some one backing him for what is going to be a very difficult time to come.

Defaming the alleged victim’s family should not be undertaken lightly.

The only reason I haven’t deleted it yet is that their identity will be fiercely protected.

I have not said anything johnboy that has suggested otherwise. Thats all his friends and family ask for, thats all we want is for it to be left to the court and for people who don’t know the facts to stop presumming that everyone who is investigated for something must be guilty. We also want people to recognise that we have the right to support him and he has a right to have TRUE friends who back him and trust him.

G, leave it to the courts, and Aaron’s defence team.

I’m not saying you should do it unquestioning but it sounds more like madman has completly turned his back, so how can he still call himself a friend?

To the aunty of the 12 year old boy, maybe rather then beleiving your family outright, which is what you are saying we are doing wrong, you should find out all the facts, how do you know you REALLY have all the facts and we don’t, we can only do what we think is right, which is stand by our loved ones, In our case aaron, in your case your family and wait for the court to decide. It looks like aaron is guilty cause he is custody, but a childs word is always taken over an adults word, but realisticly its not like a kid has never lied about this kind of thing before. He gets caught doing something he shouldn’t and blames someone else to get out of trouble and before he knows it the story has been blown beyond his control and he is too scared to turn back. not saying thats the case here, but it has happened.

“A friend is someone who stands by you, trusts you and beleives in you”

To do that unquestioningly is not to be a friend, it’s to be a moron and a moral cretin.

Now G if you can’t stop throwing these allegations around you too are bound for the moderation killfile.

For the record, I too am a friend of Aarons. by madman

You are not a friend. A friend is someone who stands by you, trusts you and beleives in you. Therefore, from what you have said, you are not a friend.

The information I have been given is that the family making the bogus allegations has boxes and boxes of pornographic material in there possession which apparently has been shown to this 12year old boy on numerous occasions. I think it is more aaron who was trusting, trusting that decent people still existed, not paople who would stab him in the back with false accusations just to serve their own perverted interests

I know Aaron, & fear what the future brings for him. He is a very nice young man – the type of guy a trusting family allowed into their lives. For the record, they are a decent hard working family who HAVE NOT asked for a cent.I know this because I am the aunty of the 12yr boy in question- a child who anguished for months over the decision to tell his parents because he worried it would be too upsetting for his mother. So to the person stating “the messed up, drug-addicted family trying to get money out of Aaron”, please be sure that you REALLY know what you are talking about – as this type of trashing not only does not help Aaron, but causes more distress to the family involved

I can assure you that the ‘virus’ defence is an excuse being provided by a desperate man who has nothing else to cling to when confronted by family and friends. As a friend you do not want to believe, however more often than not it is sadly true.

In order for the police to seize his computer longer than 24 hours they need belief that child pornography is on the computer; belief usually comes from the police actually seeing it themselves.

There is no excuse to having that crap on your computer. The links to sites or trojans etc that ’cause’ the content to be downloaded come from either other pornographic websites, or are shared by likeminded individuals.

I am sure everyone has seen reference to child pornography on p2p programs like limewire; curiosity killed the cat, and in this case its dead. Police don’t accidentally stumble across these offenders, the internet is too big a place to monitor, somebody I would suggest has given a tip off, and for good reason too, as child pornography was found.

All bs aside, people that download that crap are supporting the abuse of children one way or another. They are sick and deserve everything the court dishes out.

Thankyou TAD

I empathise your situation and by all means support your friend. Just don’ do it blindly.

If you have child porn, it obviously arrouses you.

So if I got a virus, and ended up with porn, that automatically means I get aroused by it. And following the same logic, if I watch murder shows, I’m interested in becoming a murderer.
I don’t think so.

The ‘indecency in front of a child’ is worded in such a way that it makes him look bad, when in fact it’s simply alleged that he showed the boy a DVD. And if he actually had said DVD’s, wouldn’t the police have found them, and therefore it would be included in the allegations?

Paedophiles generally can be quite charismatic which is unfortunately a skill that assists in gaining the trust of others (and their children). I’m sure your friend is quite believable but how well do we really know anyone.

50,000 sounds like a lot of images, but if you recall the child porn raids a couple of years ago there were many examples even higher. There is a tendency for child porn collectors to be obsessive collectors.

http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi279.pdf

BTW the “a virus downloaded them” defence is very easily said and easily disproven. (Particularly when that “virus” burns off the collection to discs)

what constitutes pornography ?

a friend of mine sent me some holiday snaps, incl a few of her two kids 3 and 5 on the beach in the nude.

i know the youngest kid is going to be a nudist as she has to fight to make him keep his clothes on. turn around for 5 minutes and hes stripped off. in public you can see it begin when the shoes suddenly go missing…

its sort of cute and funny.

anyway, i instantly deleted the email and photos as i know that innocent holiday photos can be viewed quite differently when police are preparing a brief of evidence.

as kiddie porn/fiddler is the new ‘burn the witch’ allegation of the age, better safe than sorry. no matter whether this bloke gets off or is found guilty – the allegation will dog him forever.

yet another reason why males avoid any child caring ocupations.

The argument as to the number of child pornography images will be a circular argument until the information is presented in court. Unless someone can provide an accurate, reliable and definitive source in the meantime.

As to the allegation of indecency, it is still just that, an allegation.

If the legal system has a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, should that not be case here as well

For the record, I too am a friend of Aarons.

johnboy, don’t know who you are but thanks. aaron deserves a fair go, and it should be remembered that it is “innocent until PROVEN guilty”

Thus spake the lynch mob madman.

Now stop it or piss off.

We’ll just wait then… 24th May I think it said.

The magistrate will have the findings.

for the record, i never used any language

he has not hadformal charges placed against him yet, they are still trying to find evidence, its still only illedged.

But it’s the whole:

If you have a crack pipe, you obviously smoke meth.

If you have a license, you obviously drive.

If you have child porn, it obviously arrouses you.

One *WOULD* be illegal but it is yet to be proven that he had one.

Now you can pull your head in, or I can dump you into the moderation queue, but cool it with the language while we wait for the courts to make a finding of fact.

Like i said before the only real thing he has done wrong is be too trusting, too innocent and too helpful. You just can’t be a good person these days, it gets spat back in your face.

The AFP have his computer, so it wont be alleged or questionable when they have databased it all.

Alleged is an allegation. Obviously it’s not an allegation if they have solid evidence, it then turns to material and not allegations.

NO!!!!
I’m saying it is illegal to have just 1 child pornographic photo. So who cares if they say otherwise as there is substantial evidence there is least enough to be used in the court

He looked after the kid as a favour, it was not his job, there were always other people at home with him as well. but that doesn’t matter cause its all going into court anyways. maybe if the parents could get off drugs they wouldn’t need to go after him for the fact that there kid needs help and wouldn’t be trying to get money from him, which they are. the pornographic material has only been classed as questionable.

Calm down madman, I believe you meant to say those things are alleged?

You’re missing the point again. There was some if not all child pornography in those 50 000 images in total.

That is ILLEGAL! And especially if he is into child minding!

The incident in question has no substance to it what so ever. there was not 50 000 images of child pornography on his computer, it was exaggerated and it was 50 000 images in total

I’m sorry, has anyone else had a virus that downloads 50thousand pornography photos?
Never heard of it. And the boys in the IT Crime Lab which is very big in Canberra will be able to confirm that; so he might want to admit before not telling the truth, cause he may even get to spend some time in the new jail in canberra down the line.
Also, he works in the IT Industry if my sources are correct which means he would know how to fix viruses!!!

No matter if it was 50 000 photos or 1 photo, it is still illegal, it IS an illegal act. Being in the child industry he should have known better.

Lets also not forget that it’s not the photos in question but the indecency from last year that is being questioned. The photos are just forming some substantial evidence against him.

I’m more then sure that the courts are not pleased at all as he is being held in the watch house.

No matter what the decision by the courts is, he will never lead the life he was. He’ll never be allowed near children/young adults in working environments. He will be knocked back by organisations or jobs over police checks. Etc Etc

Without knowing anything about this case I do know that a huge benefit of the doubt is given when assessing this material, if for no other reason that a jury needs to be convinced, and not stimulated, by the evidence.

Now to Aaron’s friends, I understand you’re upset, but remember your friend is going to be going on trial, I suggest you consult with his lawyer before trying to mount a PR campaign that could backfire.

Good going Arlyurl, sick of people who know nothing and like to put others down because of their own messed up insecurities

WTF are you on about TAD, do you even know him?!

He would not, and did not have 50k of Child Pornography, at least not intentionally. Trial by media, is the media telling half truths about things that they don’t understand. Like you, so maybe you should stop saying s**t. Toddler photos? What the hell?! There might have been some of HIM as a child or relatives, he wouldn’t intentionally have 50k of f***ing porngraphic toddler images. They’d only be there if it was the virus. Which is what he is saying it was, and I believe him completely!

Child porn is actually classified as anything under 18. he is just a nice guy that is too trusting.

For it to be classified as child porn the images need to be clearly of someone under the age of 16, and since most experts put a 2-3 year cavent of their reports the i.e looks 14 but could be 2-3 years older. The photos need to be of really young looking people. Unlikely to be a few photos of 17 year old.

Might I suggest that we all wait and see what the court decides?

I happen to know exactly what I am talking about. He does not and would not have pictures of toddlers, they were a couple of pics of 16-17year olds that he got on his computer as a virus while downloading music, my information comes from the horses mouth, I talked to him and he told me the whole story and I beleive him fully and would trust him with my daughter anytime(who happens to be a toddler). He is the victim of a f***ed up family who he did nothing to except help.

“Trial by media” spin462002

I think you’ll find that it’s actually trial by trial.

You have no idea of what you are talking about.

The child porn was not a handful of 17 year olds but 50k of child porn images amongst >100k of porn. Aaron obviously didn’t show you all the toddler images.

And WTF is your comment about biased media concentrating on the child porn and not the holiday snaps. I guess you are a glass half full kind of guy.

His girlfriend is barely 16 and has a penchant for older men.

What do you mean by that OCMC?!

The indecency in front of a 12 yr old boy is the messed up, drug-addicted family trying to get money out of Aaron by claiming he showed the boy pictures. However he didn’t, wouldn’t, and the boy probably found them himself when he was on Aaron’s computer. As he had access to it while Aaron baby-sat him.
Which explains the ‘nanny’ description.

Fair enough G.

How do you explain the “indecency in front of a 12-year-old boy” story though?

I know him, he doesn’t have a 16 year old gf, he doesn’t have a gf. He is a very nice guy and this story does not show the whole picture, its very biased and makes you want to not like him when in fact many people, who know him well are standing by him. it was not 50 000 child porn pictures on his computer, it was 50 000 images in total, being made up of family holiday pics, other pics, ordinary porn and a very small amount of child porn(he probably didn’t even realise that it was, 17 year olds can look older). If you don’t know the fact don’t pretend you do and judge him.

On average, a man’s partner is 4 years younger than him. It’s so predicable that in demographic models when a man dies, you predict that his widow will be his age at death minus 4.

We are a strange type of cattle.

Half your age plus seven. Thats the rule.

21/2 = 10.5

10.5 + 7 = 17.5

So a 21yr old should not have a gf under 17.5 years of age.

The rule works for most ages.

hmm, interesting.

but a 21 year old dating a 16 year old isn’t *that* wrong IMHO.

I know this fella. His girlfriend is barely 16 and has a penchant for older men.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Downy is apt to be a bit Uppity…

Wow Downy, the friends of the AFP have said some abjectly moronic things here but that really takes the cake.

Well Done!

wonder how jb will creatively kick the cops out of this report…

“how dare they look at his private computer”

Trial by media, as usual.

vp

neanderthalsis5:29 pm 10 May 07

A pederast at the ripe old age of 21. He certainly breaks all of the stereotypes of annorak wearing sad old men that live with their mothers until they’re 50 (general profile of IT specialists and Accountants to I think).

And if he has only fronted a commital hearing why are they publishing his name?

A Babysitter!

It seems he was an owner-operator.

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