Former A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack described himself online as a proud paedophile and boy lover, it has been revealed in court.
Yesterday, McCormack pleaded guilty to two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child pornography in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court. He was committed to sentencing on the 6th of October and could face up to 20 years in prison.
It has also been reported that McCormack tended his resignation to Nine following yesterday’s court appearance. Nine has refused to comment on the case or charges ever since McCormack’s arrest on April 6.
During the court session hundreds of messages McCormack sent to other paedophiles which “amount to child pornography” were revealed, including vivid sexual fantasies involving young boys.
Ironically, one of McCormack’s biggest scoops as an ACA journalist was his reporting on former TV star Robert Hughes’ child sex offences. Hughes is currently serving at least six years in prison.
McCormack called himself “Oz4skinboi” online and described himself as “a total b loving pedo”.
In one of the chats from 1st January this year, McCormack’s chat partner asks him, “U eva think u’ll play with one? Or just fantasy?” to which McCormack responded: “I’d love to”.
The conversations were later intercepted by the NSW Police Child Exploitation Internet Unit.
In a follow-up, McCormack allegedly wrote, “I wana get pedo with u” and “Proud ped, proud b lover”.
The conversations reportedly included vivid descriptions of what the pair wanted to do to children, their penchant for boys as young as three, and discussions of where to access child pornography images and videos.
McCormack also sent videos of himself performing a sex act to the other unnamed man. In the video McCormack says he perves “non stop” when he’s at the beach, at shopping centres or at the movies. McCormack was a lifesaver at North Bondi Surf Club before being sacked following his arrest.
Following yesterday’s court appearance, McCormack’s lawyer, Sam Macedone, told waiting reporters, “I just wanted to make it quite clear that there was never any images that were traded between Ben and anyone else of any child exploitation material. It was nothing more than fantasy talk, but no transporting of images.”
