FORMER Beechworth tourism identity Adam Robert Wynne-Jenkins groomed a girl, 14, through Facebook before the explicit messages between them were revealed to her mother.
A court heard on Thursday that Wynne-Jenkins was 34 at the time and used the “inbox messaging” to communicate privately.
It was claimed by him in the messages that he loved the girl and played a “truth and dare” game with her discussing previous or potential future sexual experiences.
Wynne-Jenkins knew the relationship was inappropriate because of her age, but advised her not to tell anyone because he could get in trouble.
The girl was told to delete messages and make sure she logged off so no one could read their messages.
But it all came to light when an anonymous person left an edited copy of the messages in the letterbox at the girl’s home addressed to her mother.
The envelope and its contents were handed to police investigators.
Wynne-Jenkins, 36, appeared in the County Court at Wodonga on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to charges of grooming a child and committing an indecent act with a child under 16.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Moore said the girl and her parents were advised of the case proceeding, but decided not to attend.
Judge Wendy Wilmoth sentenced Wynne-Jenkins to a two-year community corrections order with 40 hours of community work and assessment for drugs and alcohol.
He will be on the sex offenders register for 15 years and must provide his details to authorities every 12 months.
Judge Wilmoth said a forensic psychologist’s report indicated Wynne-Jenkins was highly embarrassed and apologetic for his offending.
“You have insight into the gravity of your offending,” Judge Wilmoth said.
“There is reduced need for specific deterrence in your case.”
But Judge Wilmoth said there was a need for general deterrence and Wynne-Jenkins had committed a severe breach of trust.
Mr Moore said Wynne-Jenkins gave the girl and her friends a personalised ghost tour for her birthday.
At times during the night he was alone with the girl, held her hand, hugged her and later kissed her on the lips in a bedroom.
They later started a conversation on Facebook discussing the kiss, the hug and holding hands.
Investigators accessed the Facebook account of Wynne-Jenkins on April 26 with a password he provided and retrieved the messages between him and the girl.
Mr Moore said the offending was over a relatively brief period.
He said normally an immediate jail term would be called for, but a community corrections order was also appropriate considering Wynne-Jenkins had no previous convictions.
