news, crime,
A Canberra truck driver accused of “distressing, disturbing and distasteful” offences is set to admit that he tried to procure a child for sexual activity through social media. Brett Hartley-Kennett, 28, was arrested in July last year after investigators said he turned up at the Arawang netball courts in Stirling to meet a Snapchat user he thought was a 14-year-old girl named Amy. In fact, court documents say, “Amy” was a covert Australian Federal Police operative acting on information that Hartley-Kennett had been inappropriately engaging with children online. Police alleged that the married Chisholm man, using the Snapchat username “fullycol”, told “Amy” he was 22 and that he had previously “hooked up with a girl your age”. It was alleged that he repeatedly asked the fake persona to send nude photos and raised the possibility that he could take her virginity, writing: “I will be perfect I promise”. When Hartley-Kennett arrived for what police claimed was a planned meeting with “Amy”, he is said to have told officers that he was “an idiot” and that he was “too old” to be talking to her. He was charged with a string of offences later described by Magistrate Beth Campbell during a bail application as “distressing, disturbing and distasteful”. Hartley-Kennett spent nearly three weeks in custody on remand before being released on conditional liberty. The 28-year-old made his most recent appearance in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, when his lawyer James Maher said he had reached an agreement with prosecutors on guilty pleas. Federal prosecutor Zoe Hough withdrew four child grooming charges, leaving allegations of procuring a child for sexual activity and using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material. While Hartley-Kennett is set to plead guilty to those remaining charges, the court heard he would not formally do so until the precise facts of his offending had been agreed with the Commonwealth. Magistrate James Lawton adjourned the matter for a fortnight to allow the final negotiations to take place. Once Hartley-Kennett formally enters guilty pleas, he will be committed to the ACT Supreme Court for sentence. The 28-year-old has regularly been supported in court by a large number of people who have clashed with media. One man wildly waved a phone in this reporter’s face when Hartley-Kennett was photographed leaving court last month, as others yelled insults including “get a real job”. Hartley-Kennett himself said: “Piss off, f—head”. He is due back in court on February 4. For faster access to the latest Canberra news, download The Canberra Times app for iOS and Android.
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37pQecASsxP5kZpQjfMrnhn/a68afa76-b6a0-433c-8d60-db8081252fe9.JPG/r0_131_3913_2342_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
A Canberra truck driver accused of “distressing, disturbing and distasteful” offences is set to admit that he tried to procure a child for sexual activity through social media.
Brett Hartley-Kennett, 28, was arrested in July last year after investigators said he turned up at the Arawang netball courts in Stirling to meet a Snapchat user he thought was a 14-year-old girl named Amy.
In fact, court documents say, “Amy” was a covert Australian Federal Police operative acting on information that Hartley-Kennett had been inappropriately engaging with children online.
Police alleged that the married Chisholm man, using the Snapchat username “fullycol”, told “Amy” he was 22 and that he had previously “hooked up with a girl your age”.
It was alleged that he repeatedly asked the fake persona to send nude photos and raised the possibility that he could take her virginity, writing: “I will be perfect I promise”.
Brett Hartley-Kennett leaves the ACT Magistrates Court following a previous appearance. Picture: Blake Foden
When Hartley-Kennett arrived for what police claimed was a planned meeting with “Amy”, he is said to have told officers that he was “an idiot” and that he was “too old” to be talking to her.
Hartley-Kennett spent nearly three weeks in custody on remand before being released on conditional liberty.
The 28-year-old made his most recent appearance in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday, when his lawyer James Maher said he had reached an agreement with prosecutors on guilty pleas.
Federal prosecutor Zoe Hough withdrew four child grooming charges, leaving allegations of procuring a child for sexual activity and using a carriage service to solicit child abuse material.
A man who regularly attends court to support Brett Hartley-Kennett waves his phone in a reporter’s face. Picture: Blake Foden
While Hartley-Kennett is set to plead guilty to those remaining charges, the court heard he would not formally do so until the precise facts of his offending had been agreed with the Commonwealth.
Magistrate James Lawton adjourned the matter for a fortnight to allow the final negotiations to take place.
Once Hartley-Kennett formally enters guilty pleas, he will be committed to the ACT Supreme Court for sentence.
The 28-year-old has regularly been supported in court by a large number of people who have clashed with media.
One man wildly waved a phone in this reporter’s face when Hartley-Kennett was photographed leaving court last month, as others yelled insults including “get a real job”.
Hartley-Kennett himself said: “Piss off, f—head”.
He is due back in court on February 4.
