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A former disability carer will spend his first night behind bars after he was jailed for more than two years for downloading almost 10,000 graphic and disturbing child abuse images and videos.
Most alarmingly, some of the material Wollongong's Thomas Malcolm Anderson stored on his devices depicted real children being tortured and bound.
The 33-year-old was sentenced to three years and nine months in custody when he appeared in Wollongong District Court on Tuesday.
Judge Andrew Haesler said Anderson's crimes were not "victimless" as harm was done to children in the production of the material.
"Some were obviously aware of what was happening while other were caught by webcam," he said."
"I have to recognise that every single child depicted in the images and videos was the victim of abuse - in some cases here gross abuse - but every act of viewing, transmitting and solicitation was another act of violation."
"Those who make up the market can't escape responsibility for the exploitation of real children."
Anderson was arrested on September 23 last year after police executed a search warrant at his Wollongong home where officers seized his devices including laptops and phones.
He also admitted and handed over a storage device which he initially tried to hide down his pants when police turned up on his doorstep.
Anderson was not remanded in custody following his arrest and had no criminal history.
Anderson pleaded guilty to six charges relating to the possession, solicitation and transmission of child abuse material.
Police uncovered more than 9000 child abuse photos and videos, which an officer described as "highly graphic," at the "highest level", involving sexual acts with children.
On his Samsung phone, Anderson had almost 3000 files of child abuse material almost all of which involved real children.
A hard drive contained 6000 files while a mobile phone had 16 files and his laptop had 113.
The court heard Anderson also communicated with "like minded individuals" where he "effectively made a request for the production of such child abuse material", Judge Haesler said before adding he also transmitted images via a messaging app.
In determining the sentence, Judge Haesler took into account that real children were depicted; the nature and content of the material which was often graphic and showed children being tortured and the "very large quantity of images and videos".
"The images were held for his prurient purposes, that is for his sexual gratification," he said.
"The solicit offences were part of a pattern of behaviour to obtain more, in one case to suggest what was wanted to be produced."
Judge Haesler said there was "some degree of planning and organisation" because encrypted sites were used, but Anderson used "little sophistication" in inquiring, storing and disseminating the material.
"He did not expect to get caught, he did not expect to be found out," he said.
Judge Haesler took into account Anderson's underlying anxiety and depression; as well as his childhood trauma.
Anderson reported to a forensic physiologist that he started looking at child abuse material from an early age and he escalated to viewing graphic and disturbing images of children.
Anderson told the court he wanted to be treated and to understand what led to his crime, which Judge Haesler believes showed some "realisation if not insight into his offending behaviour".
The court heard Anderson knew what he was viewing was wrong, but did so anyway and then would feel guilty.
Anderson denied having a sexual attraction to children but accepted he used the images for sexual gratification.
A psychologist report said the intention and nature of the offending indicated Anderson had a paedophilic disorder and would need ongoing treatment including at least 12 months, if not ongoing, counselling.
Anderson will be eligible to be released to parole on November 8, 2023.
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