A CONVICTED paedophile and pizza delivery-driver was refused bail in Orange Local Court yesterday after he was charged with 18 offences of producing and possessing child pornography.
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Michael Ross O’Sullivan is also accused of taking photos of boys in Orange at Coles and in the Orange Central shopping centre.
When they executed a warrant on Tuesday, police officers allegedly found 16 videos on the 41-year-old’s computer of children performing sexual acts.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Andy Bobin said the content of the videos was considered to be in the worst category for such offences and each charge carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
“The facts do read as quite serious and very disturbing ... the risk to the community cannot be mitigated by any bail conditions,” he said.
“There would be no child porn industry if there was no market for it ... he’s a customer, that’s why there is a market for it.”
O’Sullivan’s solicitor Andrew Rolfe argued there was nothing in the police facts to suggest O’Sullivan would attend any location where children would be present and with strict bail conditions, including no access to the internet, the safety of the community could be guaranteed.
Police facts said officers were alerted to O’Sullivan’s behaviour because intelligence reports had suggested O’Sullivan and his father talked of importing, to Australia from America, gardeners with 12 or 13 years experience.
O’Sullivan had no backyard and police believed the conversation was code for children who were 12 or 13 years of age.
“Police are concerned for the safety of children in the community due to intelligence which has suggested, in the past, the accused wants a child for himself and the fact he has taken photographs of children in the Orange community,” police facts stated.
O’Sullivan was convicted of aggravated indecent assault on a child in 2001 and did not enter a plea yesterday.
Sergeant Bobin referred the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions so it could be heard in the District Court where maximum sentences were more severe than in Local Court.
Magistrate Terry Lucas said he was not satisfied the safety of the community could be guaranteed and refused O’Sullivan bail.
The case is expected to come before the court in July.