Paedophile jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences

Today, Luke Borg (36) was sentenced in the County Court of Victoria after pleading guilty to a number of child sex offences.

The effective sentence imposed on Mr Borg means that he will spend 12 months in prison and then be released on a recognizance release order with a number of relevant conditions which will be in force for a period of 18 months.

Between 18 April 2018 and 30 August 2018, Mr Borg communicated with a girl he believed was 13-years old, with the intention of procuring her for sexual intercourse. He contacted her over the internet and via text, sending her a number of explicit text messages and photos.

What Mr Borg didn’t realise was that he was talking to an undercover police officer from the Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET).

Mr Borg was arrested at a McDonalds in Werribee in Melbourne, where he had arranged to meet the girl for sex.

Members of the Victorian Police seized Mr Borg’s mobile phone, which contained the texts he had sent to the police officer. Forensic analysis of the mobile phone revealed an image that constituted child abuse material.

When police searched Mr Borg’s home they found a plastic bottle that contained green vegetable matter, which was later found to be cannabis.

The CDPP works closely with Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Teams across Australia. The teams are joint initiatives between the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police forces, to ensure cases are successfully prosecuted and to the full extent of the law.

Members of the community who have information about persons involved in child exploitation material or wish to report allegations of child sexual abuse can do so via the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation

Summary of charges:

• 1 x Using a carriage service to procure a person believed to be under 16 years of age for sexual activity contrary to s474.26(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth)
• 1 x Transmit indecent communications to a person believed to be under 16 years of age using a carriage service contrary to s474.27A of the Criminal Code (Cth)
• 1 x Knowingly possess a drug of dependence contrary to s73 of the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act (Vic)
• 1 x Knowingly possess child abuse material contrary to s51G of the Crimes Act (Vic)
• 1 x Commit an indictable offence whilst on bail contrary to s30B of the Bail Act (Vic)
• 11 x Contravene a conduct condition of a grant of bail without reasonable excuse contrary to s30B of the Bail Act (Vic)
 

CDPP Media contact: media@cdpp.gov.au or 02 6206 5708.