A judge has significantly reduced the sentence of a former Illawarra basketball coach who groomed two teen girls on Snapchat, slashing his community service work by 630 hours.
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Jaydon Beveridge was joined by his father, former NBL coach Rob Beveridge, in Wollongong District Court for a severity appeal of his sentence on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to inciting a person under 16 to commit an act of indecency and intentionally inciting a child to do a sexual act last year, after he groomed two girls between 2017 and 2019, when he was aged between 18 and 21.
Beveridge, or Bevo07 as per his Snapchat username, sent his first victim images of his erect penis and others of himself masturbating.
He also repeatedly requested the girl send explicit images back, according to tendered court documents, with contact ceasing in 2018 before the victim disclosed the offending two years later.
Beveridge also requested "cheeky pictures" off the second victim, prompting her to disclose the offending to a parent in 2020.
When Beveridge was charged in 2020, he was the head coach of an under 14 boys Illawarra.
He was spared time behind bars in October last year when he was handed a three-year community correction order and 750 hours of unpaid community service work.
Defence barrister Kellie Stares asked for Beveridge's community service hours or supervision requirements to be scrapped entirely due to his progress made with psychological treatment.
Ms Stares added the family had been dislocated due to the 24-year-old's lengthy service hours and supervision requirements holding him back from joining his father in Perth.
However the Crown argued the three-year community correction order was necessary as Beveridge's grooming was "serious".
Judge Christopher O'Brien acknowledged Beveridge had "suffered a great deal as a result of what he did" - including damage to his reputation and career prospects - but so had his victims.
He took into account Beveridge's youth and "gross immaturity" at the time of offending, and said he showed "excellent" prospects of rehabilitation.
Judge O'Brien allowed the appeal in part and slashed Beveridge's community service hours from 750 hours to 120, allowing him to make the move to Perth by the end of the year.
Beveridge, who remains on the child sex offender register, also had his three-year community correction order reduced to 18 months.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; Men's Referral Service 1300 776 491; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
