49岁的韦恩·莱斯利·哈塔斯因管理儿童剥削网站、拍摄男孩在公共厕所的照片并分发性虐待材料，于周一在布里斯班地区法院认罪10项罪名[1]。法官特蕾西·范廷驳回了暂缓判决和缓刑的申请，判处其7年6个月监禁，2年后可申请假释[1]。
哈塔斯被指控拍摄了一名10岁和一名7岁男孩在布里斯班购物中心厕所中的照片[1]，并将这些照片上传至一个名为"澳洲伙伴们"的加密群组，该群组约有90名成员[1]。他在2023年3月至7月期间担任该群组的管理员[1]。警方在其手机上发现了1700张儿童剥削图像和68段视频，其中包括最严重类别的虐待材料[1]。此外，他还因诱导一名15岁男孩以及在群组和社交媒体上分享带有高度色情标题的男孩照片而认罪[1]。
法官范廷表示这是"极其严重的"犯罪[1]。哈塔斯于2023年9月被控后曾被羁押6个月，随后获得保释[1]。
Wayne Leslie Hartas, a 49-year-old Australian man, pleaded guilty to ten offenses related to child exploitation on Monday at the Brisbane District Court.[1] The charges included operating a child exploitation website and coercing a 15-year-old boy, along with photographing a 10-year-old and a 7-year-old in toilet facilities at a Brisbane shopping center.[1] Judge Tracy Fantin sentenced Hartas to seven years and six months imprisonment and rejected applications for suspended sentences or probation, calling the crimes "extremely serious."[1] He will be eligible to apply for parole after two years.[1]
Hartas uploaded the illicit images to an encrypted group called "Aussie mates," which had approximately 90 members and for which he served as administrator between March and July 2023.[1] Police discovered 1,700 child exploitation images and 68 videos on his mobile phone, including material depicting the most severe categories of abuse.[1] He admitted to distributing child exploitation material and sharing photographs of boys with highly sexualized captions across the group and on social media platforms.[1] Hartas was charged in September 2023 and spent six months in custody before being released on bail.[1]