A Lake Heights parolee accused of grooming who he believed was a teen boy is facing up to 15 years' jail after the Australian Federal Police arrested him on Thursday.
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The AFP will allege Graham Cook, 60, initiated "grossly explicit communication" with a 14-year-old teenager from the United Kingdom, before grooming him for sexual activity and transmitting child abuse material.
Cook, who is on the Child Protection Register and on parole until April 2025 for similar offending, was actually allegedly messaging an undercover cop.
AFP child protection operations officers swooped on Cook after receiving information from the AFP's London Post about a man accused of engaging in online child sexual exploitation.
Inquiries allegedly linked Cook to the online activity. His address was raided, with child abuse material and records of communications with the boy stored on a computer seized.
Tendered court documents state Cook allegedly messaged the undercover cop he knew as 'Jacob' between November 2023 and January 2024.
During the interactions, it's alleged Cook sent images of his penis and initiated the idea to meet in person to have sexual intercourse.
"Did you want to be f---ed or do you want to f---," Cook said in one message.
In another, Cook allegedly pretended he was living in the UK and asked 'Jacob' to stay overnight.
Sitting in the police holding cells, Cook was beamed onto the audio-visual link screen at Wollongong Local Court on Thursday where he made a bid for his release.
Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions solicitor Edward Jude opposed bail.
He argued there were no conditions that would ameliorate Cook's risk of reoffending, due to him being on parole for similar offences at the time of the alleged communications.
Mr Jude said the charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years jail.
Defence lawyer Darryl Quirk proposed strict bail conditions, including the confiscation of all electronic devices.
He cited Cook's status as the full-time carer of his brother with a heart condition as a need for him to be at liberty.
Mr Quirk conceded the case against Cook was strong given the communications were online.
He added Cook's parole conditions prohibit him from leaving the country and meeting up with who he thought was the teenage boy.
Magistrate Chris McRobert pointed out the messages allegedly sent by Cook "were of an extremely explicit nature".
"This is an overwhelming case of extremely serious offences while on parole," the magistrate said, before refusing bail.
"As much as he may surrender electronic devices ... to my mind, it's a position where conviction and imprisonment are inevitable."
Cook is yet to enter pleas to using a carriage service to prepare or plan to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16 years of age, using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material, and failing to comply with reporting obligations.
He will remain behind bars ahead of his next court date on April 17.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
