By Madigan Landry

Copyright abc

A West Australian man found with thousands of images and videos depicting “truly vile” child abuse has been jailed for five years.

Brett Anthony Cohen, from Australind in the state’s South West, pleaded guilty to 10 counts relating to the possession and dissemination of child abuse material after his arrest in 2021.

The 61-year-old was tracked and arrested by WA’s Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, which included state and federal police officers.

The investigation stemmed from reports Cohen was using social media platforms to access abuse material.

During sentencing on Monday in Bunbury District Court, Judge Alan Troy said the amount of “truly vile” material was “substantial” and exceeded 2,000 files.

“The material is extremely serious, depicting children, infants and children, in visible states of distress,” he said.

“The offending involves the dissemination of child abuse material to at least 30 other individuals.

“The victims of this offending are real children who almost inevitably come from relatively impoverished countries and circumstances of either emotional or physical deprivation.

“Not only are the child victims subjected to persistent physical harm at the time and ongoing psychological harm thereafter, but they are in a sense re-victimised every time an image or video showing them being abused is disseminated.”

Rehabilitation prospects ‘uncertain’

Judge Troy was legally required to take Cohen’s prospects of rehabilitation into account, but said deviancy was at the core of the guilty man’s behaviour.

“Your prospects of rehabilitation are uncertain,” Judge Troy said.

“It is important that I discourage and dissuade others from thinking that they can access this material from the safety and perceived anonymity of their computers, with no consequences.”

In a statement released after the sentencing, Australian Federal Police Acting Inspector Fleur Jennings said the dissemination of abuse material by offenders like Cohen demonstrably increased the harm inflicted on children around the world.

“Children are some of the most vulnerable members of the community and anyone who accesses material depicting horrific abuse against them contributes to the demand for others to physically harm them,” Inspector Jennings said.

“The AFP and its partners remain committed to protecting children from sexual predators and will prosecute anyone involved in their harm.”

Mr Cohen will be eligible for parole in three years and four months.