Kane Sharpe’s client is acquitted following trial for an offence of attempted sexual communication with a child.

The defendant’s Facebook account was found to have made over 1000 sexual communications with a 12-year-old child decoy, created by an adult member of a so-called ‘paedophile hunter’ organisation. The defence case argued that members of the local community had a vendetta against the defendant, and that his Facebook account had been hacked. The decoy was called to give evidence and cross-examined at length about the organisation’s practices and contact with members of the public. The case involved complex digital forensic evidence relating to the use of various devices and apps.

The jury acquitted Kane’s client unanimously.

Instructed and expertly assisted by Darren Cousins at Cousins & Co.