news, crime, Richard Roy
A 56-year-old Kambah man was caught on video engaging in a sex act while he watched live child abuse material involving a “pre-pubescent” girl, police allege. Richard James Roy fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday. He pleaded not guilty to one charge of using the internet to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16, and did not enter pleas to two counts of possessing child abuse material. In a statement issued by ACT Policing on Friday morning, officers said they raided Mr Roy’s home on Thursday and seized “an expansion drive containing video and image files depicting child abuse material”. Prosecution documents later tendered to the court alleged “dozens” of the videos and images depicted “young children in various stages of undress”. The documents said one 37-second video from July 15, 2017, showed “a live stream video using a split screen on the ‘Chatrandom’ platform in which an adult male and a pre-pubescent female child both masturbating over webcam platform”. They alleged the adult male in the video was Mr Roy. Chatrandom.com markets itself as a place to “enjoy free random video chat instantly” and meet strangers, but users have to tick a box to certify they are at least 18 years old before they start chatting. The prosecution documents also alleged police found a pocket notebook in Mr Roy’s top bedroom drawer, which “contained a number of phrases and terms known by investigators to be search terms relating to child abuse material searches on the internet”. They said police did not know if Mr Roy had further alleged victims in relation to his use of Chatrandom or similar video chat websites. Prosecutor Libby Sutton emphasised this point in court on Friday – she said the current charges might represent “the tip of the iceberg” for Mr Roy. She said prosecutors were concerned Mr Roy might try to destroy or interfere with evidence, given a police analysis of the 56-year-old’s electronic devices “may well take some considerable time”. Mr Roy’s lawyer, Tom Taylor, pointed to that potential delay as one reason why the 56-year-old should be granted bail. He said Mr Roy had strong ties to the Canberra community – he had two adult children, and had been employed in the same job in Canberra for 15 years. Mr Taylor said any risk that Mr Roy would interfere with evidence could be ameliorated by strict bail conditions, and the 56-year-old had agreed to forfeit $20,000 if he breached them. But Magistrate James Lawton refused to grant Mr Roy bail. He said there was “strong evidence” the 56-year-old had engaged in sexual activity with a child over the internet, and he was concerned Mr Roy would interfere with evidence. The magistrate said it appeared Mr Roy was prepared to use “covert” internet services for sexual gratification, and he would have to be monitored around-the-clock for the court to be satisfied he wasn’t doing that. Mr Roy will next appear in court on February 26.
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A 56-year-old Kambah man was caught on video engaging in a sex act while he watched live child abuse material involving a “pre-pubescent” girl, police allege.
Richard James Roy fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.
He pleaded not guilty to one charge of using the internet to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16, and did not enter pleas to two counts of possessing child abuse material.
In a statement issued by ACT Policing on Friday morning, officers said they raided Mr Roy’s home on Thursday and seized “an expansion drive containing video and image files depicting child abuse material”.
Prosecution documents later tendered to the court alleged “dozens” of the videos and images depicted “young children in various stages of undress”.
The documents said one 37-second video from July 15, 2017, showed “a live stream video using a split screen on the ‘Chatrandom’ platform in which an adult male and a pre-pubescent female child both masturbating over webcam platform”.
They alleged the adult male in the video was Mr Roy.
Chatrandom.com markets itself as a place to “enjoy free random video chat instantly” and meet strangers, but users have to tick a box to certify they are at least 18 years old before they start chatting.
The prosecution documents also alleged police found a pocket notebook in Mr Roy’s top bedroom drawer, which “contained a number of phrases and terms known by investigators to be search terms relating to child abuse material searches on the internet”.
They said police did not know if Mr Roy had further alleged victims in relation to his use of Chatrandom or similar video chat websites.
Prosecutor Libby Sutton emphasised this point in court on Friday – she said the current charges might represent “the tip of the iceberg” for Mr Roy.
She said prosecutors were concerned Mr Roy might try to destroy or interfere with evidence, given a police analysis of the 56-year-old’s electronic devices “may well take some considerable time”.
Mr Roy’s lawyer, Tom Taylor, pointed to that potential delay as one reason why the 56-year-old should be granted bail.
He said Mr Roy had strong ties to the Canberra community – he had two adult children, and had been employed in the same job in Canberra for 15 years.
Mr Taylor said any risk that Mr Roy would interfere with evidence could be ameliorated by strict bail conditions, and the 56-year-old had agreed to forfeit $20,000 if he breached them.
But Magistrate James Lawton refused to grant Mr Roy bail.
He said there was “strong evidence” the 56-year-old had engaged in sexual activity with a child over the internet, and he was concerned Mr Roy would interfere with evidence.
The magistrate said it appeared Mr Roy was prepared to use “covert” internet services for sexual gratification, and he would have to be monitored around-the-clock for the court to be satisfied he wasn’t doing that.
Mr Roy will next appear in court on February 26.
Richard Roy fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday. Picture: Karleen Minney
