‘Predatory’ children’s author used fame to groom kids
An award-winning children’s book author has been jailed for using his fame to hook up with young girls before luring them into sex in sensational online chats.
Oliver Phommavanh, Thai riffic!, What About Thao? He gained praise and fame for writing children’s fiction works such as. and Other Christy.
It was a reputation the 42-year-old man used as a ploy to lure girls as young as 11 into sexual altercations over four years, the NSW District Court heard on Friday.
The Thai-Australian author was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison after admitting grooming three girls for sexual activity during lengthy conversations on social media between 2020 and 2024.
The court was told he met the children when he went to their schools to give presentations about his books and offer writing workshops.
The messages sent to each of the girls started out quite innocently but soon turned sexual, with Phommavanh asking graphic questions under the guise of discussing the book’s characters.
According to the agreed facts, the author sent a series of explicit stories to a female student under the pretext of seeking her feedback on the accuracy of the stories from a teenager’s perspective.
Judge Peter Krisenthal said: “The criminal was a writer of some repute and relied on that fame not only to gain access but also to continue manipulating (the victims).” he said.
“His actions were clearly predatory in my view.”
Phommavanh told one of the victims, who expressed a desire to be a writer, that she had a “kissable face” when she was 13 or 14, the court heard.
The facts reveal that he exchanged over 5,500 messages with her and told another victim that he had fantasized about her since a young age but had not acted out the fantasy because it would ruin their friendship.
The author was arrested in May 2024 after having sexual intercourse during a video call with an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Judge Krisenthal called his crime manipulative and persistent, stating that a strong message should be sent to society.
However, he acknowledged that Phommavanh expressed remorse for his actions and their impact on his victims and had since received special treatment.
The writer remained expressionless as he was sentenced to at least four years behind bars.
After previously appearing alongside the country’s top talent on Writers’ Week panels, podcasts and an anthology, his reputation has fallen dramatically.
Phommavanh’s 2010 novel Thai-Riffic! It was shortlisted for the Young Australian Best Book Awards and was one of two of her works to be inducted into the hall of fame for the NSW-based children’s choice Koala awards in 2015.
References to the books appear to have been removed from the Koala website in recent months.
Other Christy and What About Thao? both have been longlisted for the prestigious Australian Children’s Book Council awards.
Her books have since been quietly removed from the website of her publisher, Penguin Random House, which did not respond to requests for comment.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Resolution Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Child Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
