A 24-year-old man from Newcastle, New South Wales, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including the possession of child abuse material and bestiality videos. Jarrod Scifleet’s home was raided by police on October 24, 2024, following a lengthy investigation initiated by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). During the raid, authorities seized over 34,000 child abuse images, as well as illegal firearms and other prohibited items.
In a courtroom appearance at the Newcastle Local Court, Scifleet admitted to four offences. These included possessing child abuse material, bestiality material, and more than three unregistered firearms, which encompassed pistols. Additionally, he acknowledged possessing throwing stars and a trench knife.
Investigation and Arrest Details
The investigation into Scifleet began in 2023 after Newcastle detectives received information suggesting that child abuse material had been uploaded from an IP address linked to his residence. According to police documents, detectives sought a search warrant on October 23, 2024, which led to the subsequent raid of his home the following day.
During the search, officers examined Scifleet’s mobile phone and iPad. The findings were significant: a total of 33,713 images and 1,672 videos were located on the iPad alone. Of these, 50 videos were classified as category-one child abuse material, which is the most severe classification for such content. Furthermore, six videos depicting bestiality were also discovered on the device.
The investigation revealed additional disturbing findings on Scifleet’s phone. Authorities discovered 189 category-one child abuse images and 32 videos fitting the same description. Furthermore, there were an additional 152 images and five videos categorized under the second tier of child abuse material. In total, seven videos containing bestiality content were found on his phone.
Confession and Charges
Upon his arrest, Scifleet was taken to Newcastle Police Station, where he participated in an electronically recorded interview. He confessed to regularly downloading child abuse material from the internet, including through online platforms such as Reddit. Notably, Reddit has strict guidelines prohibiting the sharing of sexual or abusive content involving minors.
In addition to the child abuse and bestiality material, Scifleet was found to possess four gel blasters, which are toy guns designed to shoot gel pellets. These gel blasters are considered illegal in New South Wales, as they are classified as firearms. According to police, in this jurisdiction, gel balls are similarly categorized as ammunition.
Scifleet’s case has been adjourned to October 2, 2024, where a sentencing date will be established. He remains on bail as the legal proceedings continue.
