Our client, a commercial lawyer, came to us in an extremely distressed state after being charged with using electronic communication with intent to expose a person he believed to be under 16 to indecent material.
At the time, he was experiencing significant personal and marital difficulties and had turned to online forums seeking connection. This led to communications with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old child, who was in fact an undercover police officer.
When arrested, our client was highly emotional and had not received legal advice. He made full admissions and provided police with access to his device, which contained the relevant messages.
Given the strength of the evidence, we advised our client to enter an early plea of guilty and focus on achieving the best possible sentencing outcome. We worked closely with him to implement a structured rehabilitation plan, providing clear guidance on the steps he needed to take prior to sentencing.
Our client followed this advice diligently, engaging in rehabilitation and demonstrating genuine insight into his offending.
Through detailed preparation and the presentation of strong subjective material, we were able to persuade the prosecution to concede that any term of imprisonment should be suspended. The Court ultimately agreed.
Our client was sentenced to a conditional suspended term of imprisonment, avoiding immediate custody.
While the offence has had serious consequences for his professional future, the outcome achieved meant he was spared imprisonment, which was his primary concern from the outset.