NRL Star Pleads Guilty To Sending Child Sexual Abuse Material On Gay Phone Chat Service

starobserver.com.au:

Former NRL player Brett Finch on Tuesday pleaded guilty to sharing child sexual abuse material on an adult gay sex phone chat service. Trigger Warning: This story discusses child sexual abuse, which might be distressing to some readers.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.The former State of Origin star pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to transmit or publish child abuse material, reported ABC.

A Sydney Downing Centre Local court is scheduled to sentence Finch in September 2022. In a statement signed by Finch, he admitted to using the adult gay sex phone chat service FastMeet between November 2020 and January 2021 and sharing messages about wanting to have sex with teenage boys.In December 2021, Finch and seven other men, aged between 34 and 71, were arrested by NSW Police during their investigations into an alleged child abuse material ring.The  NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad’s Strike Force Hank had conducted raids across Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Shoal Bay, Petersham, Cranebrook, Gerroa, Surry Hills and Stanmore.

They seized mobile phones, electric items and illicit drugs during the searches. “We will allege that each of the men arrested by detectives over the past month expressed desires to engage in sexual activity with children, and in some cases, attempted to access child abuse material from other users of the service,” Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty had then said.“Producing, disseminating or possessing child abuse material are serious offences, and detectives will continue to dismantle these types of operations, so children are free from harmful situations,.