EXCLUSIVE
A hospitality worker in a BDSM relationship was arrested with child abuse material after asking his “teacher” to distribute a sex tape via WhatsApp in a bid to satisfy his “humiliation fetish”.
Stephen Corbett, 37, was arrested on February 1 last year after police raided his property in North Bondi, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, following a tip-off from one of his friends that he was in possession of child abuse material.
He originally pleaded not guilty and a hearing date was set for early 2024, however when the hearing finally took place 12 months later he admitted his guilt.
Now, court documents obtained by WhatsNew2Day Australia following Corbett’s guilty plea in March reveal the bizarre chain of events that led to his arrest.
According to the police fact sheet, Corbett met his friend, who would later turn him in to detectives, through a mutual friend in 2017.
But in 2021, the limits of friendship began to be tested when the cafe worker’s friend began receiving strange WhatsApp calls from several people abroad claiming to be Corbett or one of his associates.
Stephen Corbett (pictured left) was arrested when a friend reported him to police after receiving a poor quality home video showing child abuse material on his laptop screen.
The calls were always “strange” and usually involved “some sexual aspect,” according to the fact sheet.
However, the worst call would come two years later, on January 23, 2023, when the friend received a WhatsApp call around 9:00 p.m. from a Filipino man named ‘James’, who appeared to be between 14 and 19. years.
According to the documents, James revealed that he and Corbett were in a master-slave relationship and that the 37-year-old had developed a new fetish involving humiliation.
Corbett pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child abuse material
James asked his friend for his PayPal details so he could send him $300 and receive several sexually compromising videos from Corbett, which the cafe worker had requested to satisfy his sexual fixation.
The friend said no, but James still proceeded to bombard him with messages and a video showing Corbett engaging in a sexual act while watching child abuse material on a laptop.
Nine days later, the friend reported the matter to the police, who raided Corbett’s home the next day, February 2, and confiscated an Acer Predator laptop, an Asus laptop and an iPad.
Corbett was not home at the time, but saw police on his property via a wireless doorbell app and immediately contacted his father.
Following their conversation, the 37-year-old contacted police and arranged to meet officers at Redfern police station, where he was arrested and his phone was confiscated.
He was then taken to Mascot Police Station where he gave a recorded interview without comment after seeking legal advice.
However, he told officers he had deleted social media “some time ago,” only to admit, once the recorder was turned off, that he had used WhatsApp since deleting it in April 2021, but claimed he couldn’t remember. why or when.
Court documents reveal that Corbett had asked his young Filipino ‘teacher’ to send the video to a friend to humiliate him.
The video showed Corbett (pictured) committing a sexual act while watching the exploitation material.
In March last year, it was revealed in court that, following his arrest, Corbett spent two weeks in prison before being granted bail on February 14 under strict conditions, including a ban on accessing the internet or possess electronic devices.
Just seven days after being released, he appeared at Waverley Local Court, where he successfully applied to have his bail conditions amended so he could have a mobile phone.
Dressed in a gray suit, glasses and colorful striped tie, Corbett appeared nervous as he sat in the gallery with his legs crossed and his hands clasped tightly in his lap, twirling his dangling foot in a circular motion.
Addressing the court, Corbett’s lawyer asked Magistrate Ross Hudson to review his client’s bail conditions to allow him to have a mobile phone designed without internet capability.
Justice Hudson seemed amused at the thought of the rarity of non-smart phones, and joked that he used an equally old-fashioned device.
‘What are those types of [non-smart] Did the phones ring again? Magistrate Hudson asked.
Corbett’s lawyer responded: “Burner calls your honor.”
Stephen Corbett (pictured centre) leaves Waverley Local Court in March 2023 with his solicitor (left) and his father.
Corbett initially pleaded not guilty before admitting the crime about 12 months later when his case was due to be heard in court. He is pictured outside the court in March 2023.
After police prosecutor Chris Davis did not object to the application, Magistrate Hudson agreed to vary the condition to allow Corbett to have a phone as long as it could not be used to access the internet.
As he left court, Corbett was supported by his mom and dad, who had watched the hearing from a separate area of the gallery.
When asked by WhatsNew2Day Australia if he would like to comment on the allegations, Corbett remained silent and raised his backpack in front of his face.
He finally left the road without saying goodbye to his parents and headed in a different direction.
Shortly after being confronted by WhatsNew2Day Australia, Corbett’s social media accounts were deactivated.
Under current bail conditions, Corbett must live at his parents’ home in Kingsgrove and report regularly to authorities.
Corbett is due to be sentenced on June 19, 2024.
In New South Wales, producing, disseminating or possessing child abuse material carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Corbett refused to answer questions about the crime and put a bag over his face as he left court in March 2023.