A Prospect Vale paedophile was planning to travel to Queensland to have sex with his 11-year-old girlfriend who he met online.
James Peter Pevitt was 23 when he added the young girl on Facebook in March this year.
The Launceston Supreme Court heard details of their online relationship on Wednesday when Pevitt appeared before acting Justice Pierre Slicer.
He previously pleaded guilty to one count of communicating with intent to procure a person under 17 years to engage in an unlawful sexual act, one count of possessing child exploitation material and one count of making a communication with the intention of exposing a person under the age of 17 years to indecent material.
Messages between Pevitt and the girl were read out in court, revealing he knew how old she was.
“Can I ask how old you are?” he asked her in a Facebook message.
“I turn 12 in December,” she replied.
Pevitt went on to tell the girl he was a “tad older”, but continued to communicate with her.
Throughout their online relationship, Pevitt told the girl lies so she would send him photos.
At one point, he told her he had been kidnapped and she needed to send a photo of herself with her finger inside her.
She also “willingly” sent him three naked photos of herself and he sent her a photo of his penis, the court heard.
In other messages, the pair planned Pevitt’s trip to Queensland, discussing how they would have sex and she would do a pregnancy test after.
Pevitt said to the girl “you do realise your mum will get the cops involved”, but the girl insisted she would be able to meet him at the airport and told him how much she loved him.
They arranged to meet on June 19, but Pevitt’s home was searched by police on June 15 and police found photos of the girl on his phone.
During an interview, he told police he “understood his girlfriend was a child and he was an adult and that would make him a paedophile”.
He also told police he was “sexually attracted” to the girl, but knew it was against the law to have sex with her.
His lawyer Alan Hensley said his client felt “significant shame”.
Describing Pevitt as a “loner” and “misfit” who had led a clean life, free of drugs and alcohol.
“There is nothing in his background to explain this type of behaviour,” Mr Hensley said.
Acting Justice Slicer remanded Pevitt in custody until November 10 when he is expected to be sentenced.
“You are going to go to jail,” he told Pevitt.
Melissa Mobbs
A journalist with more than a decade of experience, Melissa Mobbs currently works as the Deputy Editor for The Examiner Newspaper in Launceston, and has a strong background in reporting on crime and the justice system. Send tips to Melissa.Mobbs@examiner.com.au or on Twitter via @melissamobbs.
A journalist with more than a decade of experience, Melissa Mobbs currently works as the Deputy Editor for The Examiner Newspaper in Launceston, and has a strong background in reporting on crime and the justice system. Send tips to Melissa.Mobbs@examiner.com.au or on Twitter via @melissamobbs.
