A MAN who pleaded guilty to possessing 413 pieces of "vile" child exploitation material walked free from court yesterday.
A laptop and DVD, found at the Texas home of Hayden Russell Pratt, contained images of bondage between children, bestiality and rape.
Two movies were among the seized material, including one of a baby.
Judge Leanne Clare labelled the stash "depraved" during Pratt's sentencing at Warwick District Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing child exploitation material.
"It is difficult to comprehend how anyone could find pleasure in such depravity and suffering," Judge Clare said.
"In every one of those images, real children had been used."
Defence lawyer Michael Bonasia said a psychological report showed Pratt, who is on a disability pension, had a cognitive impairment, which meant he was naive and wasn't equipped psychologically to stop his behaviour.
"It seems ... the artificial nature in the sense of the availability of the material to him and others was, in Mr Pratt's mind, some validation for what he did," Mr Bonasia said.
Regardless of his thoughts, he must now understand his behaviour was not only wrong but serious, Judge Clare said.
"An interest in this kind of material is neither kind nor gentle, it is the very opposite," she said.
Judge Clare said Pratt's personal circumstances complicated the matter but the report concluded the risk of re-offending could be managed through treatment.
Pratt was convicted and sentenced to 15 months jail but the sentence was immediately suspended for four years.
The 31-year-old was also ordered to placed on probation for three years.
"If there had been a real risk to sexual contact with children, then you would not be leaving this courtroom other than in the prison van," Judge Clare said.
