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A Melbourne man arrested and charged after he allegedly travelled to Los Angeles to purchase a six-year-old boy for sex, has been sentenced in the US.

*TRIGGER WARNING – disturbing content

Update 1 November

Michael Quinn wept in court when he was sentenced to 12 years’ jail by a Los Angeles judge.

Quinn cried throughout his sentencing told US District Court Judge John Walter it was the first time he had attempted to prey on a child, reports 7 news.

“If you give me a second chance I won’t let you down,” Quinn said.

Judge Walter showed little leniency, sentencing Quinn to the maximum term the prosecutors had asked for.

Quinn’s lawyer had asked for 10 years.

The veteran judge described Quinn’s desire to attend what Quinn believed was a pedophile party at an LA hotel room and pay a pimp to allow him to rape a young boy as “absolutely disgusting”, “ghastly” and “despicable”.

His lawyer, Lisa Shinar LaBarre, said Quinn’s severe addiction to methamphetamine had altered his thinking and created psychotic thoughts.

Quinn had also claimed to have been abused as a child.

The court heard a psychologist who examined Quinn in jail concluded it was unlikely he would reoffend.

Judge Walter said he was not “overly impressed” by the doctor’s report, noting Quinn did not undergo standard testing for pedophilia.

“It upsets me so much that I could be capable of harming a child,” Quinn, dressed in a white prison jumpsuit, told the judge.

Quinn also apologised to Australia for “damaging its reputation” and told the court “I never want to put a child in danger again”.

Judge Walter said he did not “buy” the cause and effect of Quinn’s drug addiction and the abuse he suffered as a child.

“The defendant had every intention of raping a boy,” the judge said.

Assistant US lawyer Joey Blach wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed to the court: “Despite the friendly congenial mask [the] defendant showed to the world, [the] defendant lived a secret life online”.

Police said they found child pornography on his phone and also seized a meth pipe.

Previously on this story…

9 News reports, Michael Quinn, 33, was arrested by special agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations team, US Attorney for the Central District of California Eileen Decker said.

The Melbourne man is a Monash University-educated geneticist who works at Australia’s largest fertility clinic in Melbourne, reports The Daily Mail.

Michael_John_Quinn_was_arrested_for_allegedly_atte-a-15_1464241657104

Via Daily Mail

He was charged with “travelling to the US for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and attempted sex trafficking of a minor”, Ms Decker said in a statement.

According to an affidavit, US special agents launched an investigation into Mr Quinn earlier this month, after undercover agents met him “on a social networking site that caters to individuals with a sexual interest in children”.

Mr Quinn allegedly told agents he wanted to “meet up with a dad who shares his young ones” in Los Angeles.

He allegedly said he wanted to meet “other pervs” and agreed to pay US$250 (approximately AU$350) for a young boy with whom he planned to have sex.

On Saturday, he went to a hotel expecting to meet three fellow child sex predators for a party involving sex with young boys, the affidavit alleged.

He instead met three agents posing as predators, and was arrested after he paid a fourth undercover agent for the children.

Ms Decker has slammed the “child sex tourism industry” and warned that predators would be caught.

“Predators who travel overseas to sexually exploit children do not just victimize children in faraway lands,” she said in a statement.

“As this case shows, children everywhere are vulnerable to such predators, including children right here in Los Angeles.

“The Internet has helped to enable the child sex tourism industry by making the world a smaller place, but this case, and others like it by my office, show that such international predators can and will be brought to justice.”

Joseph Macias, the special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, echoed Ms Decker’s concern and warning.

“Millions of tourists flock to Los Angeles every year for all this city has to offer, but if you’re coming here to sexually exploit children, expect to be met by law enforcement, not a welcome mat,” he said.

“As this case vividly illustrates, the advent of the Internet means youth are now vulnerable to exploitation by sexual predators not just around the corner, but around the globe.

“Paedophiles should be on notice, HSI and its law enforcement partners are using all of the resources at our disposal to combat this reprehensible behaviour and hold the perpetrators responsible for their crimes.”

Traveling with the intent of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

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  • sell him to the highest bidder in prison after letting them know what he is in for!

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  • Scum Bag!! So glad they caught him, but how many others are doing this & haven’t been caught!! I couldn’t imagine being an undercover in this situation!

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  • What a sick world we live in ! Glad this man got caught, hope he gets what he deserves.

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  • Omg to see the picture of the perpetrator you would not think that a person could do such a thing. A what a disgrace to Australia.

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  • So pleased he was caught and hope he has to serve the full gaol time and perhaps longer if he has trouble with the inmates.

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  • I can’t express how ill this makes me. There are some seriously horrible, depraved people out there. I hope this man suffers as a result of this.

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  • Thank god he was caught and l hope he gets 30 years in jail.

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  • I’m so glad he was caught. Creep.

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  • The thought of this makes my blood boil. Most native animals would treat their own species with more respect than this human creep who knows this is not right. How many times has he done this in the past ad not been caught?? I hope USA puts him in a high security gaol with no perks for a very long time. Maybe they should put him in with hardened criminals and let him fend for himself.

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  • This is terrible! How awful thank god for policemen

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  • this story is seriously sick….

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  • We should not waste resources on these sick, perverted monsters once they are caught. A simple injection will put an end to this evil.

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  • Oh God, is there no end to the sick depravity of some people?! A dad who lends his kids out for sex. $250 to buy a boy. Meeting up with other pervs. I feel physically ill!

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  • This man makes me feel free sick in the stomach. I hope he feels the full weight of the law.

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  • Absolutely sick!! 30 years in prison for pedophilia isn’t enough!!

    Reply

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