Nicholas Paul Bartle, 23, pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to engaging in conduct with indecent intent to expose a child under 16.
The court was told of a bizarre series of events which started when Bartle matched with a profile on the dating application Grindr in October last year.The profile stated the person was 18 but Bartle was soon told the profile belonged to a 14-year-old.Despite knowing the profile belonged to someone who was underage, Bartle sent explicit messages, including two explicit photos, through to the boy.He then arranged to meet the boy at a golf club in Pimpama.
When he arrived at the golf club, Bartle was greeted by three men who chased him and then followed him to a police station.Bartle there explained to police what happened and handed over his phone.The court was told the men who had catfished Bartle had initially lied to police and told them the profile belonged to their 14-year-old brother.Judge Ken Barlow said the “fact that it is an entrapment is completely irrelevant”.“You agreed to sexual conversation and provided indecent images to a young boy.“You told police you agreed to meet him to warn him of the dangers, not to have sexual contact.”Judge Barlow sentenced him to 18 months probation.“I trust you learned a lesson from this and will never see the inside of one of these courts again,” he said.Bartle covered his face with a white shirt as he left court.
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