Encrypted chats reveal horrific allegations against ‘Satanic paedophile’
A Sydney man accused of running a satanic pedophile ring allegedly hoarded nearly 7,000 abuse images involving babies and animals and used coded chats to tell acolytes he “wished” to abuse children.
However, when the police came to his door, he tried to claim that he was “building a case” as an “investigative journalist”.
Landon Germanotta-Mills, 27, was charged in late November by the Strikeforce Constantine-led NSW Police child exploitation team, which was investigating an online harassment cell operating on a file-sharing website in New Zealand.
Germanotta-Mills was arrested at her Waterloo flat and remained in custody until last week, when she was granted bail by the NSW Supreme Court.
The town where he was released on bail cannot be disclosed by court order.
A police document unsealed by the court on Tuesday alleges Germanotta-Mills told 12 other users in encrypted one-on-one chats that she was interested in “zoo” and “incest” as well as “no matter how old the youth are.”
The descriptions of the images in the document are too lurid to repeat, but one user allegedly asked Germanotta-Mills if she had “fucked young” and the user allegedly replied “I wish.”
Police examining the New Zealand company’s servers discovered images featuring animals, adult men and babies, and tracked down emails and phone numbers used to register the accounts.
An email allegedly directed police to Germanotta-Mills’ blog, the Underground Media Network; In this blog he claimed to work as an investigative journalist exposing “trauma-related” stories, including police corruption, racism and child molesters.
But Germanotta-Mills, who describes herself online as an independent First Nations journalist, allegedly used the accounts to chat with other users soliciting and sending child abuse material.
Just two weeks before her arrest, Germanotta-Mills allegedly wrote to another user: “Trying to find some perverted porn.”
The person he was chatting with explained that he had abused a child.
“You hot pervert pedo,” Germanotta-Mills allegedly added.
Police raided Germanotta-Mills’ home in Waterloo on November 27 last year and found her in the living room. He offered to “cooperate if I had a chance to explain his reasons,” according to the document.
“[The material] According to Germanotta-Mills’ statement to the police, it was allegedly on my device to build a bigger case… I should have sent it to you and reported it immediately.
“Instead of trying to plead my case…be a typical journalist.”
Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty, who was head of the NSW Sex Crimes team at the time, said the material, with victims ranging from babies to 12-years-old, was “among the most extreme we have seen” and the “use of satanic iconography demonstrates the level of depravity”.
He said police were working with international law enforcement and collected evidence abroad that identified 145 alleged criminals.
Germanotta-Mills was charged with a number of offences, including accessing, transmitting and possessing child abuse material and some relating to bestiality material.
Germanotta-Mills was released by NSW Supreme Court Justice Belinda Rigg on April 28; Rigg found that the risks posed by his release could be managed through home detention, daily police reports and a ban on phones and internet devices.
“When I analyzed the applicant’s detailed information sheet, including the ways in which he contacted the different devices and platforms relied upon by the prosecution, as well as some of the admissions made by him, the prosecution’s case has obvious strength,” he said.
The memorandum alleges that Germanotta-Mills had sexual intercourse with another man named Benjamin Drysdale, who had previously been convicted of child abuse material.
Drysdale, former police officer David Turner and former Victoria swimming coach Mark Andrew Sendecky were among those arrested in connection with the alleged child abuse ring and remain before the courts.
Germanotta-Mills and the others charged have not yet entered a plea. They will then appear before the local court in May and June.
Anyone needing support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), the National Sexual Exploitation and Reparations Support Service 1800 211 028, Lifeline 13 11 14 and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
Start your day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
