Man, 33, accused of using underaged girl to produce child exploitation material

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged child abuse.

Allegations that a man had used a girl to create child abuse material when she was 15 and 16 years old were made after he was allegedly seen having sex with her in a public park in Gungahlin.

The 33-year-old, whom Region has currently chosen not to name for legal reasons, was granted bail when he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (22 January).

Police had heard that two people were having sex at Yerrabi Pond on Sunday afternoon (21 January). Officers arrived and allegedly found the pair naked with a mobile phone propped up and pointing towards them, court documents say.

The pair reportedly identified themselves as the 33-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl.

The man was arrested, had his phone seized and police allegedly found “a large number” of sex toys in his bag. They also allegedly found he had a powder suspected to be methylamphetamine and a bottle of what is thought to be gamma-hydroxybutyrate.

The girl was later collected from a police station by her mother.

Police examined the man’s phone and said they found videos recorded on Sunday showing him and the girl having sex at Yerrabi Pond. One video reportedly ended when the officers could be seen approaching the pair.

A number of other photos and videos of the pair having sex were allegedly found on his phone, footage that had been recorded in 2023 when the girl was aged 15.

It is alleged he had also sent a photo of the girl committing a sex act to another person via a text message earlier this month.

The man was charged with producing and possessing child exploitation material, as well as using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material and indecent exposure.

He applied for bail in court on Monday, which was not opposed by the prosecution on agreed conditions.

Magistrate Glenn Theakston granted bail on conditions that include not contacting the girl and not being within 100 metres of her or using drugs.

No pleas have been entered. The matter will return to court in February.

The man ran away from members of the media when he left the courthouse before trying to hide from their cameras behind a structure on the street.