Olympic hopeful and professional BMX champion Rhys Kember, who partly blamed the sport's "groupie culture" for soliciting child abuse material from five teenage girls, has been sentenced to three years in jail.
Key points:
- The court heard the champion BMX rider solicited nude photos from the girls over a four-year period, sometimes in exchange for alcohol
- ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said Kember had minimised his responsibility, but believed he would embrace rehabilitation
- The court heard Kember was an Olympic hopeful, stunt rider and representative for a breakfast cereal, which all came to an end when he was arrested
Kember, 34, was charged with soliciting and possessing child abuse material and procuring a child for sex.
Details revealed in the ACT Supreme Court showed over four years, Kember had asked the girls to send nude photos of themselves, sometimes in exchange for alcohol.
Police recovered more than 50 photos from his phone, which has now been forfeited.
ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told the court, Kember had been on track to compete in the Tokyo Olympics, but that and his professional career representing a breakfast cereal and working as a stunt rider, had come to an end with his arrest.
"Some people have a steeper fall from grace than others," Chief Justice McCallum said.
"He had the world at his feet and that is lost."
During sentencing submissions, prosecutor Patricia McEniery told the court Kember had shown no remorse, and appeared to have a limited understanding of the impact of his crimes on the victims.
"They were actual child victims," she said.
"They were known to the offender.
"He requested the material … despite their reluctance."
ourt documents also showed Kember had sent nude images of himself to one of the girls, who was 13 at the time, telling her: "I don't like a person who doesn't send back."
Later he sent a message saying, "If you really care for me you'll send me this."
Chief Justice McCallum said he ignored the girl's reluctance.
"He encouraged her in a way that can only be regarded as manipulative," she said.
واستمعت المحكمة إلى أن كيمبر قد سلم أيضًا الوجبات السريعة إلى مدرسة فتيات أخرى مقابل الحصول على صورة يومية.
عندما طلبت منه تلك الفتاة أن يشتري لها الكحول ، قال إنه لن يفعل ذلك إلا إذا أرسلت له الصور ، وهو ما رفضته.
قام كيمبر بتوصيل الكحول لفتاة في المدرسة
في تبادل مع فتاة أخرى تبلغ من العمر 15 عامًا ، طلب أولاً صورًا لثدييها ثم اقترح لاحقًا فعلًا جنسيًا مقابل الكحول.
استمعت المحكمة إلى أن كيمبر كان قد سلم الكحول للفتاة في المدرسة أثناء وقت الغداء ، لكن لم يكن هناك دليل على حدوث أي اتصال جنسي.