A Sri-Lankan immigrant father-of-one who admitted being aroused by his vile collection of child exploitation material will walk free from jail in just six months.
Dumindunath Bandara Ekanayake, 40, was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment in the Perth District Court last week, but will be released on a $1,000 good behaviour recognisance order after half a year, the Australia Federal Police said on Monday.
Judge Belinda Lonsdale said the 142 images and 362 videos found on Ekanayake’s phone, laptop and hard drive were particularly depraved but reduced his sentence due to good character references and his rehabilitation efforts since being charged, The West Australian reported.
Police raided Ekanayake’s Belmont home in July 2022 after a tip-off from the United States’ National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a user uploading child abuse material on an instant messenger application.
He was charged with one count of using a carriage service to access child abuse material, and one count of possessing child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, and pleaded guilty in November last year.
Judge Lonsdale noted in court that Ekanayake had a privileged but strict upbringing, and began abusing drugs and alcohol and became addicted to pornography after the death of a friend and being left unable to work due to an assault.
“You were, for want of a better expression, partying hard, going to nightclubs, using dating apps, having casual sex and smoking cannabis,” she said.
Ekanayake claimed he was looking for adult pornography when he downloaded the child abuse material, and that he did not have a sexual interest in children, but admitted being aroused by the images and videos.
His treating psychologist said he did not have any paedophilic tendencies, although he may have justified his offending by engaging in “cognitive distortions”.
Header image: Left, right, Dumindunath Bandara Ekanayake (Instagram).
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