Ben McCormack faces up to 15 years for child porn offences

Ben McCormack will face a ‘no-nonsense’ former Crown prosecutor dubbed ‘Judge Dread’ when he shows at court for sentencing on Friday afternoon.

The one-time A Current Affair journalist, 44, faces up to 15 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to two child porn charges relating to online child sex fantasies.

The former Nine Network star’s family has flown into Sydney to support him for the sentencing hearing, which will be presided over by District Court Judge Paul Conlon.

Jail time? Ben McCormack (pictured) will soon learn his fate with sentencing proceedings beginning in the District Court on Friday

McCormack will come before the court on Friday

District Court Judge Paul Conlon

McCormack (left) will come before District Court Judge Paul Conlon (on right)

Before he was appointed to the bench in 2006, Conlon spent two decades as a Crown prosecutor, much of it in Wollongong, south of Sydney.

Colleagues in the legal fraternity have described him to the media as ‘The Rottweiler’, pointing to his ‘steely glare and quick bite’.  

He regularly tangles with accused criminals of every walk of life presiding over the busy list court at Sydney’s Downing Centre complex.

The two charges McCormack will bring in front of him relate to online sex fantasy conversations the former TV personality had between 2015 and early this year.

In explicit conversations, detailed in court documents, McCormack said he ‘love(s) young bs (boys)’ and at one point described himself as a ‘proud ped’.

McCormack had exchanged a number of images but there was ‘no evidence that the images were of children in pornographic poses or activities’, court facts said. 

McCormack (pictured on assignment) famously tracked down Hey Dad! paedophile Robert Hughes

McCormack (pictured on assignment) famously tracked down Hey Dad! paedophile Robert Hughes

One of many of Ben McCormack's Skype messages tendered to the District Court in agreed facts

One of many of Ben McCormack’s Skype messages tendered to the District Court in agreed facts

McCormack is seen here in his Grindr profile

McCormack is seen here in his Grindr profile

The court has heard McCormack also sent a 30 second video recording of himself masturbating to another man.

‘I may be coming to Perth next week and I’d love to catch up and jack off over it, yeah I’ve got hot stuff,’ McCormack said.

‘Oh I perve non-stop man, the beach, shopping centres, movies. Yeah I love it’.  

The former journalist and North Bondi surf life saver’s hearing has been set down for midday, Friday, although the sentencing may not finish today.

His lawyer Sam Macedone has said he will tender psychiatric reports as part of his submissions. 

McCormack put his two bedroom unit in inner Sydney’s Alexandria up for lease ahead of the sentencing.  

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