A 22-year-old former South Morang man is facing 88 child pornography charges, including “encouraging” and advising on the abduction, rape and killing of a 5-year-old girl in Russia.
Matthew David Graham, who lived in South Morang with his parents when he was arrested in a joint Victoria police/FBI sting last year, is an alleged member of an online paedophile ring on secret “dark web” sites specialising in torture and grotesque sexual acts with children, including babies and toddlers.
Graham appeared briefly in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday wearing a suit.
Police allege the offence relating to the young girl in Russia happened in June 2013. Graham also faces a charge of allegedly offering for sale a video of a toddler in Asia being sexually abused.
The charges against him reveal he allegedly used 12 clandestine websites, including some specialising in “hurtcore” – real depictions of violent rape and sexual assault, often including children. The FBI has acted against several of these sites in the US last year.
The details of the case have shocked senior Victorian police.
The South Morang house previously owned by Graham’s parents, where police allege the online crimes were committed, was sold in November last year.
According to reports, Graham is a former LaTrobe University nanotechnology student.
He will appear again in court next month.
CHRIS JOHNSTON
Read the full story at The Age
