Dale Whiteman, 32, used his connections as a referee or acquaintances to meet young girls; and would also contact the friends of other teens he groomed.

The Tarrawanna man would communicate with the girls on social media or via text message before turning the conversation sexual.

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Some of the girls said they enjoyed the attention from the older Whiteman and would engage in sexual conversation or acts, despite them often feeling uncomfortable and confused.

His 22 victims were aged between 11 and 17 while he was in his 20s and early 30s. He groomed the teenagers over a period of more than a decade.

He had physical contact with six victims while the others he exploited by communicating with them on the internet.

Whiteman appeared via audio-visual link from Goulburn Correctional Centre to be sentenced in Wollongong District Court on Friday.

Judge Andrew Haesler ordered Whiteman be jailed for 16 years with a non-parole period of 12 years.

"Dale Whiteman in a persistent and predatory manner exploited 22 young girls for his own sexual gratification and deviant and prurient interests. His actions harmed many young girls," he said.

"Whiteman acted with one motive; his own sexual gratification.

"In each matter he exploited the youth and inexperience of his victims and the relative difference in their ages.

"The significance of the age difference can be illustrated by the fact the child victims were just starting high school and only recently reached puberty."

Whiteman pleaded guilty to 16 charges including having sexual intercourse with a person aged 14 to 16, possessing child abuse material, aggravated indecent assault and using a carriage service to groom a child under 16 years for sex.

In agreed facts tendered to court, many of the girls told police Whiteman would begin with general chat after befriending them either in person or via social media.

He would then turn the online conversation sexual, often asking them about their underwear, bodies or sexual experience, also telling them what acts he wanted to perform with them.

Whiteman had a fetish for g-strings, underwear and swimwear.

He would often "badger" and "nag" the girls for sexually explicit photos despite them initially refusing to send the images.

His crimes escalated and he sexually touched the girls, performed or received oral sex and raped them.

Some of the girls trusted Whiteman, after being groomed, which he then exploited.

He would sometimes use a false identity on social media to contact the girls again after they had found him "creepy" and blocked his inappropriate conversations,

Whiteman's perverted behaviour continued until his early 30s when he was arrested on December 11, 2019 after he started talking to a 13-year-old girl on Instagram.

Whiteman came under the notice of police after the girl's friends told their school principal.

Whiteman was granted bail but re-arrested in March last year, after another girl came forward with details of her alleged sexual abuse and he was charged with more offences.

Police uncovered a dossier of child abuse material on a USB storage device during a search warrant of his home.

The 71 folders were labelled with girls' names and images. They contained screenshots from sexual conversations he had with girls as well as photos and videos of them naked or in their underwear.

Whiteman has been in custody since March 4 2020.

The court previously heard six of the victims give statements during a sentencing hearing in September.

The women spoke of feeling violated, as well as shame, guilt and blamed themselves.'

They said they continued to struggle to trust other people, as well as had negative feelings of self image and felt "broken" as young girls.

Some of the women felt it was important to tell Whiteman about the hurt and ongoing mental scars he caused them after their innocence was exploited but also the resilience and strength they had despite his depraved and manipulative crimes.

In court on Friday, Judge Haesler said he took into the account the trauma of the victims when determining the sentence.

He also noted Whiteman would experience more hardship due to the COVID-19 virus that had entered NSW jails, and his early guilty.

Judge Haesler determined Whiteman's apology and remorse was "unconvincing".

He said Whiteman told him in a letter to the court and evidence that he understood the seriousness of the charges and offered an apology to his victims and his family.

Judge Haesler told the court Whiteman had expressed his remorse and regret for what he did, that he suffered from low self esteem and would do whatever it took to strive to be a better person in the future.

Whiteman claimed he would engage in all treatments, and had completely changed his attitude and outlook towards life, now looking forward to continuing his "personal redemption".

Whiteman also admitted his actions were selfish. But claimed his attraction to girls was not age specific, rather he took advantage of their availability because he was lonely and sort acceptance and self esteem, which he did not get when at work or playing sport.

"I accept he had displayed some remorse. . .however his evidence was overall unconvincing," Judge Haesler said.

"His offending was age specific. It was planned and calculated. His evidence and letter appeared insincere and self serving.

"Whiteman was obviously regretful of the position he was now in, and the future time he must spend in jail.

"But his insight into why and what he did; and the harm caused to so many young women was limited.

"He has the capacity to say the right things and he will have time to learn how to change."

Judge Haesler accepted a report from a forensic psychologist who acknowledged Whiteman's underlying depression, loneliness and perceived social rejection had contributed to his crimes, and the attention he received from the girls may have boosted his self confidence.

He also noted, as described in the pyschologist's report, that Whiteman's paedophilic sexual interest added to his offending and remain constant for more than a decade.

Judge Haesler said Whiteman who need to engage in sex offender programs if he wanted to be released from parole on March 3, 2032.

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