A predator who secretly took photos up the skirts of schoolgirls and young women on public transport, and photographed girls at the beach, has been jailed for at least 18 months.
South Australian District Court Judge Adam Kimber sentenced 52-year-old Alan Leon Baden to two years and 10 months in jail for his crimes, with a non-parole period of one-and-a-half years.
The former Australian Taxation Office (ATO) information officer pleaded guilty to 13 offences, including possessing child exploitation material and indecently filming.
He was caught after a work colleague found one of his SD cards at the ATO in Adelaide.
The card was handed over to police in August 2018.
Judge Kimber said police found two photos of a "prepubescent female" on the beach, which included a "close-up of her bottom".
He said there were 22 images of a teenager's bottom on public transport.
"There were six images of another female — images taken up her skirt," he said.
"Five images of another girl in school uniform [were] taken on public transport, the photos are also taken up her dress."
Judge Kimber said while Baden had engaged in some therapy since his arrest, he had sought to "deflect blame" for the offending.
"I remain concerned that you may not have fully embraced the significance of your conduct," he said.
The father-of-three was also found in possession of hundreds of child exploitation images and videos across multiple devices found at his office and Hove home.
"Child exploitation material is a serious social evil," Judge Kimber said.
Despite Baden denying he was sexually aroused by the material, Judge Kimber found that he was.
During a sentencing hearing last month, prosecutor Sophie Taylor said Baden's crimes were perpetrated against individuals ranging in age "from 10 to young adults".
"There's no suggestion that these women had any idea they were being filmed, which adds to the predatory nature of the behaviour," she said.
Defence lawyer Jane Powell told the court that Baden started using methamphetamine recreationally and associating with a convicted paedophile, who has since died, about eight years ago.
"Mr Baden says he had no idea the drug would have such a profound effect on him," she said.
"He then got into chat sites and began pretending to be someone else — that gave him a social connection with the world that he otherwise did not have.
"He role-played in these fantasies. He admitted he would obtain clothed images from websites and pass them off as himself.
"In that way, he would engage in fantasy role-play with other men who believed, or wanted to believe, that he was a young girl."
Ms Powell said the indecent filming offending was "spontaneous".
