A Mount Pleasant man who was caught with more than 90,000 files of "callous" child abuse material will remain behind bars for at least another year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Adam Orvad dialled into Wollongong District Court from the Junee Correctional Centre on Thursday and sat with his head bowed as Judge Andrew Haesler delivered his sentence.
The 51-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material and using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child abuse material.
Orvad came under the notice of detectives in 2021 after the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation was notified he uploaded child abuse material online.
The court heard investigators found about 90,000 illegal files which Orvad downloaded in bulk on three of his electronic devices after a raid of his home in March 2022.
Some of the files had been shared with other abusers between 2020 and 2022.
The court heard the university-educated business owner grew addicted to watching pornography for hours at a time which eventually led him to seek out child abuse material.
"It appears a high sex drive led him to looking up pornography at a very young age," Judge Haesler said.
He added the content varied in severity, ranging from videos and images of real and animated children involved in "graphic sexual acts" including penetration with objects and male genitalia.
"Those who use the product feed that exploitation and abuse," Judge Haesler said.
"It's also a callous crime because every time that material is viewed, the offender is reminded of that exploitation and abuse and the degradation that causes."
The court heard Orvad had reflected on the "evil" he had committed and that he refused personal visits in custody since being remanded in June 2022 due to shame.
Orvad sought and received frequent psychological treatment in jail, however still admitted an interest to viewing children aged six and up, Judge Haesler said.
Orvad received an overall jail term of three years and four months, with a non-parole period of two years.
With time already served, Orvad will be eligible for release in July 2024. He will also be subject to a Child Prohibition Order.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
