The former head of one of Perth's largest hospitals has been sent to prison for five months for online child sex offences.
Key points:
- Kempton Cowan admitted 11 charges relating to online child abuse material
- He received a 21-month sentence, but after five can be released from jail
- His lawyer Michael Tudori said he needed to put the episode behind him
Kempton Cowan, the former CEO of Joondalup Health Campus, had admitted to 11 charges, including possession of child abuse material, and causing child pornography material to be transmitted to himself.
Judge Fiona Vernon sentenced the 57-year-old to 21 months in jail but ruled he could serve the balance in the community after a term of five months in prison.
The District Court in Perth heard details of the abuse material he possessed, including images and videos of children engaged in sexual activity.
Before she started her sentencing, Judge Vernon warned those in the public gallery that she was going to describe them.
She explained how the vision and imagery featured children as young as eight.
Judge Vernon told the court Cowan had started sexting activities via a website, after getting home from social functions where he had been drinking.
She referred to stories he had sought from people he believed to be adults, about purported sexual experiences as young teenagers.
These offences, descriptions in the form of written text or chats, constituted the majority of the 11 charges.
Cowan paid for stories
Judge Vernon referred to them as being at the "lower end" of the range as there was no evidence Cowan thought they were children.
"The stories are not particularly detailed," she told the court, but added he did pay for them.
She said one story depicted force and degradation.
Cowan thought one user he communicated with, named Purge, was a woman aged 18, but it turned out to be a 14-year-old schoolboy.
The court was told Cowan received much of the child abuse videos and images from Purge.
Judge Vernon said she accepted Cowan was remorseful and he likely had a "low risk of reoffending".
She said counselling had identified that he had felt "self-deception, shame and denial" before he was arrested.
But she said his behaviour was escalating until his arrest in 2022.
'He needs to put it behind him': lawyer
Judge Vernon said "general deterrence" was paramount and the sentence needed to reflect the "abhorrence" with which the community viewed the offending.
After serving an immediate term of five months, Cowan could be released with an 18-month good behaviour bond.
Speaking outside court, Cowan's lawyer Michael Tudori said his client was relieved.
"It's a chapter of his life he needs to put behind him," he said.
Cowan was not surprised he had been imprisoned, Mr Tudori said.
"Commonwealth sentences are a little bit different to the state, so after five months he'll be released and then in effect it's like a suspended sentence," he said.
"He has to remain of good behaviour."