Photo: Sydney Criminal Lawyers

Parmenter was caught out in a two month covert investigation into his online activity, carried out by investigators at the State Crime Command Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad―Child Exploitation Internet Unit. Using an Assumed Online Identity (AOI) of a 13-year-old girl, on 6 November 2017, the investigators sent Parmenter a friend request on Facebook suggesting they chat on Skype or Snapchat.

Parmenter accepted, and during the initial conversation identified himself as being 40-years-old and was told the girl he was speaking to was 13-years-old.

Over the course of the next two months, Parmenter asked the AOI to send him photos of herself, including images of her naked and one of her breasts―and sent her images of himself and video of him masturbating in return―asked for her mobile number and email address, continually asked her about having sex with him and suggested she watch pornography to prepare for their sexual encounter, and even sent her a link to a pornography website. He also encouraged her to molest her younger brother.

Throughout the operation, the AOI continually reminded Parmenter she was only 13 years old.

On 9 January 2018, detectives attached to the Unit arrested Parmenter at Evans Head in NSW and seized his mobile phone. He said he talked to girls online but that they were all 16 years of age, and that the AOI had told him that’s how old she was.

When asked if he was to meet with the AOI that day, he said he was going to, but had wanted to go fishing instead.