A Bendigo man who attempted to entice someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl into engaging in sexual activity in a hotel in Melbourne will be sentenced in July.
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Klynton Collins pleaded guilty to two charges, including using a carriage service to procure a person under the age of 16 years for sexual activity and breaching his reporting obligations as a registered sex offender, in the County Court sitting in Bendigo.
In February 2022 the Federal Australian Police's Joint Anti Child Exploitation team became aware of Collins becoming active on social media and contacting teenagers and children.
On February 18, a "covert operative" set up a Facebook profile under the alias of a 14-year-old girl "Lucy".
Lucy sent Collins a friend request on the same date which was accepted.
The pair started an eight day conversation with February 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 being sexual in nature, including asking Lucy about her sexual preferences and whether he could pay her for sex.
Offered to pay for sex
"Interested in making some money?" was one of the questions asked by Collins towards Lucy before telling her "I'm ugly so most girls won't (have sex) with me" unless he pays for it.
Collins also attempted to entice Lucy with a trip to the pool and with chocolate.
After organising a hotel room at the Atlantis Hotel in Melbourne, Collins offered to pick up Lucy from the train station in order to "sneak" her into the room.
However, on February 25 Collins was picked up by police and taken to the room he had booked to stay in.
He admitted to police he was there to see a 14-year-old girl that he knew was underage and also admitted to having two snapchat accounts not registered with the authorities.
The court heard Collins cooperated with police and supplied the passcode to his phone and accounts and was honest about messaging other underage girls prior to his arrest.
First time in custody
Defence lawyer Glenn Cooper said these crimes had led to Collin's first stay in custody which had been tough on the man and included bullying and harassment from other inmates.
Mr Cooper said the man had been in a serious car accident years prior to his offending which had left him with both physical and mental impairments.
The court heard Collins had also had prior child sex offences including being ordered onto a community corrections order in the Bendigo Magistrates Court in January 2022, only weeks before trying to meet up with Lucy.
Judge Amanda Chambers said the most aggravating feature of Collins's crimes was that he had "literally just walked out of court" over child sex offences before then re-offending.
Collins has served 847 days as of June 21 in pre-sentence detention, roughly two years and four months which Judge Chambers said was an unfair amount of time to be on remand.
Judge Chambers scheduled Collins to be sentenced on July 12, 2024.
