A Liberal member of the ACT's Legislative Assembly says she is "genuinely disgusted" that a predator who shared child exploitation material of very young children having sex with adults will not spend time behind bars.
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Bradley John Burch admitted having images of pre-pubescent children and of distributing the still and video pictures, some of children as young as three.
On Wednesday, he was sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court to serve 12 months jail time in the community rather than behind bars, by way of an intensive correction order.
The court previously heard arguments he might catch COVID-19 in prison.
As part of the order, Burch will have to complete 200 hours of community service, be assessed for a sex offender program, and give ACT Corrective Services access to his home without notice.
The punishment was on top of a sentence Chief Justice Helen Murrell previously imposed on Burch for possessing child exploitation material: a two-year good behaviour order with 100 hours of community service.
The police evidence to the court was that the former manager with ACT Health had had online chats with what appeared to be pre-pubescent children, sometimes calling himself "daddy".
He also had online chats with other paedophiles. One told him she was having sex with a five-year-old child as they spoke, and the pair discussed opening a childcare centre together.
The Liberal spokesperson on health in the ACT, Vicki Dunne, said: "I am genuinely disgusted by this decision. How can a self-confessed predator be allowed off without a single day in jail?
"Crimes against children are some of the most repugnant that come before a court and this individual pleaded guilty.
"This predator demonstrated no remorse, committing horrendous child sex crimes in the full awareness that they were wrong, even packing his bags in preparation for a jail sentence.
"I encourage the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider the leniency of this sentence as a matter of urgency."
Police arrested Burch on October 10, 2019. Afterwards, he continued participating in internal ACT Health chat rooms where parents exchanged pictures of their children.
Burch pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material and sending child exploitation material to others in March this year. The territory's Health Minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith, said the sex offender was suspended without pay on May 14, and sacked from his job on May 22.
Steve Evans
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."
