Four men have been charged over their alleged involvement in an international satanic child sex abuse ring, following an investigation into a Sydney-based paedophile network trading alarming abuse material through an internationally administered website.
Police arrested 26-year-old Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills, a self-styled independent investigative journalist alleged to have played a leading role in the child abuse ring, at a Waterloo apartment on Thursday.
He was charged with seven counts of using a carriage service to make child abuse available, use carriage service to access child abuse material, three counts of possessing child abuse data-use carriage service, two counts of disseminating bestiality material, and possessing bestiality material.
Germanotta-Mills was arrested in a matching zebra print outfit, and wore a blue beanie to cover his face.
He is the founder of the Underground Media Network, an “independent Australian investigative journalism platform committed to exposing institutional abuse, systemic failures, and the misuse of power”. Police corruption and child protection are among the issues the Underground Media Network investigates, according to its website.
Three other men allegedly involved in the paedophile network were arrested at a unit block in Malabar on Thursday, and charged with several child abuse offences.
Benjamin Raymond Drysdale, 46, was charged with using a carriage service to make child abuse available, two counts of contravening a prohibition order, two counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations, and possessing a prohibited drug.
Mark Andrew Sendecky, 42, was charged with possessing child abuse data-use carriage service, using a carriage to access child abuse material, and possessing child abuse material.
Sendecky was a swim coach in Victoria, where he served as coaching director and committee of management at Masters Swimming Victoria until resigning in 2018.
Stuart Woods Riches, 39, was charged with possessing child abuse material, possessing bestiality material, using a carriage to access child abuse material, five counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations and two counts of possessing a prohibited drug.
Detectives uncovered the alleged paedophile network following investigations into the distribution of child sexual abuse involving ritualistic or satanic themes online.
Several electronic devices were seized during the search warrants, which allegedly uncovered thousands of videos depicting the abuse of children from infancy to 12 years of age, and sexual abuse of animals.
Sex Crimes Squad Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said the international group used confronting symbols and rituals to “torture” children, describing the child abuse material exchanged within the network as “particularly devastating”.
“The sharing of child abuse material, unfortunately, is increasing,” Doherty said.
“We’ll work together to make sure a child is identified, and they can be rescued as soon as possible.”
Doherty said the four men arrested on Thursday had no access to children, but was concerned about a public safety risk if they remained out of custody.
Police are unsure where the abuse material originates from, and are yet to identify any children in the videos.
The men appeared in court on Friday. Germanotta-Mills was refused bail, and will next appear in the Downing Centre on January 29.
Drysdale, Sendecky, and Riches made no application for bail, and are also listed to appear in January.
Sydney men charged over alleged international satanic paedophile network
A 26-year-old self-styled independent investigative journalist is alleged to have played a leading role in the child abuse ring.
