A Canberra man who allegedly bought sex toys and had them sent to a 12-year-old girl in the Unites States after the pair met online has pleaded guilty to grooming and soliciting child pornography.
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Thomas Bryant Keski-Nummi-Wilson, 25, claimed he struck up a friendship with the girl but their relationship wasn't sexual after he was arrested by federal police acting on a tip-off from the FBI in October 2015.
Keski-Nummi-Wilson appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday, when defence lawyer Adrian McKenna entered guilty pleas to the two charges on his client's behalf.
A police statement of facts, tendered at Keski-Nummi-Wilson's committal, said he began to communicate with the girl about twice a day on social media sites including Facebook and Instagram after they met online in August 2014.
US authorities launched an investigation into the pair's communications and later found evidence of sexually explicit messages and webpage links.
One of the messages, sent to the girl from a social media username linked to Keski-Nummi-Wilson's email address, is alleged to have read:
"omg youre[sic] such a 12 year old some times[sic]"
A search of the girl's bedroom in Colorado uncovered a receipt for several sex toys, which were shipped to the victim's address from an online sex shop and using an email address also linked to the offender, the police statement said.
In an interview with police, Keski-Nummi Wilson said the girl at first told him she was 17 years old and soon to turn 18.
The girl then said she was 14 going on 15 shortly before the offender and his mother departed for a trip to Colorado he'd planned so the pair could "say hello face-to-face" in January 2015.
Keski-Nummi-Wilson said he told his mother the girl was under age before they left for the US but he didn't cancel their plans because he'd already paid for the trip.
He had also paid for a week-long holiday in Hawaii with the girl and their mothers that cost almost $8000.
Court documents said he told police he was rarely left alone with the girl during their stay and they were mostly in the company of their mothers.
Financial records in the name of the victim and her mother identified deposits from Keski-Nummi-Wilson's account from September 2014.
He had sent about $4000 to his victim so she and her mother would not get evicted from their home, according to court documents.
Mr McKenna said in court his client's sentence hearing would likely take more than a full day and asked that a pre-sentence report be prepared.
The court heard an agreed statement of facts has yet to be filed.
Keski-Nummi-Wilson remains on bail. His sentence hearing has been set down for May.
