Australian police officer arrested for grooming 15-year-old girl: ‘You owe me’

A “deeply psychologically troubled” former cop has admitted to grooming a 15-year-old girl for sex when he showered her in compliments and sent her money in return for nude photos.

Nicholas Filmer faced the NSW District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to using a carriage service to groom someone under 16 years old for sex, using a carriage service to solicit child sex abuse material, and two counts of using carriage service to transmit child abuse material to self.

The court was told the 26-year-old contacted a 15-year-old girl on social media and continued messaging her for six months with “persistent attention and unwavering pursuit.”

Crown prosecutor Danielle New said the then-active police officer had groomed the girl by using a variety of strategies, including compliments about her appearance, complaints when she didn’t reply, and payments.

After one payment of $979 from his police bank account, Filmer pressured the 15-year-old for nude photos and told her: “You owe me.”

Ms. New said the victim was “reluctant and tried to stop him” – even blocking him on social media – but Filmer persisted.

The court heard he solicited naked photos and a video of the 15-year-old in addition to nude images sent by another minor, which she had downloaded from the internet.

The second victim also received payment from Filmer in exchange for the explicit images.

Ms. New emphasized the “profound and pervasive impact of this offending on young girls” and praised the victims for their bravery.

“What was ordinarily done in a carefree and unassuming way online is, to use (the 15-year-old victim’s) word, now ‘tainted,’” she said.

“That impacts on the innocence they should be enjoying when they use social media.”

The Crown prosecutor argued Filmer had an “elevated moral responsibility” at the time because he was a serving police officer who knew what he was doing was illegal.

“Police officers are meant to uphold the law. They are seen as pillars of moral responsibility serving the community,” she said.

Ms. New acknowledged Filmer has “mental health concerns in terms of sexuality” which explained the “indiscriminate sexting”, but said there was nothing to show he didn’t have the capacity to understand the “wrongfulness” of his actions.

However, Filmer’s barrister Margaret Cunneen SC maintained the child abuse material was “about as far from the most serious examples … as it can possibly be.”

She said the offending was “very low level” and involved little sophistication, as evident in Filmer using his full name and transferring the victim’s money from his police bank account.

Ms. Cunneen said her client “wasn’t a depraved person” but rather a man characterized by “psychological deficits and extreme emotional immaturity”.

The court was told a psychologist had determined Filmer was a “deeply psychologically troubled and immature young man” who suffers from “a quite severe disturbance of personality.”

The expert concluded he did not meet the criteria for classification as a pedophile or ephebophile.

In a letter read aloud to the court, Filmer apologized and said there was “no excuse” for his criminal actions which he said were “a source of great shame”.

“Words cannot begin to express the regret I feel about my actions and the sorrow I feel for the harm done by my actions,” the former constable wrote to the court.

“Nothing can repair the harm but (I) only (hope) the young ladies will be able to move on.”

He also thanked those involved for “stopping my actions and saving those girls” from further pain.

Ms. Cunneen said Filmer’s remorse showed there was “no prospect ever, ever, of repeat conduct” as she advocated for him to remain out of jail.

Judge Andrew Scotting will sentence Filmer next month.

The court heard the 26-year-old is no longer employed by the NSW Police Force.