Grace Tame slams ‘pathetic’ Sydney court as Brett Finch avoids jail for sharing child abuse material

Grace Tame has slammed Australia’s courts as ‘pathetic’ for allowing NRL star Brett Finch to avoid jail time over sharing ‘depraved’ child sex abuse material. 

The sexual assault survivor and 2021 Australian of the Year, lashed the justice system after Finch was sentenced to a $1,000 two-year good behaviour bond on Wednesday afternoon. 

The retired representative halfback pleaded guilty in August to one charge of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child abuse. 

Finch, 41, had been under the influence of drugs when he left a series of ‘twisted’ messages on a gay chat line describing a desire to perform sex acts on young boys.

He admitted in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court feeling disgust at himself for making the calls and said his only intention had been to obtain cocaine in order to feed his spiralling drug habit. 

Ms Tame said the sentence brings ‘shame on Australia’ in a furious rant posted to social media on Wednesday night. 

Grace Tame (pictured in October) has slammed a Sydney court as ‘pathetic’ for allowing NRL star Brett Finch to avoid jail time over sharing ‘depraved’ child sex abuse material

Brett Finch (pictured on Wednesday) pleaded guilty in August to one charge of using a carriage service to transmit, publish or promote child abuse

She said the notion that Finch had merely used the chat line as a means to score drugs highlighted how ‘undervalued children are’ in Australia. 

‘What a disgrace,’ the 27-year-old said.

‘Whether his version of events is true or not, it doesn’t change the outcomes of his actions. It does not change the fact that he produced child exploitation material. 

‘It does not change the fact that he engaged with convicted pedophiles, therefore aiding and enabling the cycle of abuse culture and providing the social cue of legitimacy to a crime against humanity.’ 

The advocate for sexual assault survivors slammed Finch’s reference to wanting physical encounters with teen boys as ‘just s*** talk’. 

‘It’s just s*** talk to dehumanise and objectify an underage member of your own species,’ she wrote. 

Tame (pictured in February) said the notion that Finch had merely used the chat line as a means to score drugs highlighted how ‘undervalued children are’ in Australia

Former NRL star Brett Finch says he was trying to buy cocaine when he left child abuse messages on a gay sex hotline during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic

Finch avoided jail after being convicted of sharing ‘depraved’ child sex abuse material amid a crippling cocaine addiction.

The maximum penalty for the offence is 15 years in prison and the Crown had asked the fallen footy star be sentenced to full-time custody. 

Judge Phillip Mahony described the content of the messages as ‘highly depraved’ and ‘morally reprehensible’ but found there were some exceptional circumstances. 

He accepted Finch had been motivated by a desperate and ‘patently absurd’ attempt to source drugs rather than him having any sexual interest in children.

Judge Mahony noted no images had been created or shared, the offending was ‘entirely unsophisticated’ and Finch acted alone while on drug-fuelled binges.

Finch had no criminal record, had given his time freely to junior football coaching and charity work and had low prospects of reoffending.

Finch (pictured reporting for bail) admitted using the sex chat service FastMeet but said any messages he left about wanting to have physical encounters with teen boys was ‘just s*** talk’

‘I accept that he is genuinely remorseful for his offending conduct,’ the judge said. 

Judge Mahony had been ‘generally impressed’ by Finch’s evidence and said he had demonstrated insight into his addiction and the ‘enormity’ of the challenges he faced staying clean.

The father-of-one had been subjected to media scrutiny ‘above and beyond’ that faced by someone without his profile who committed the same offences.

Under the terms of Finch’s recognisance release order he must be of good behaviour, not travel interstate or overseas without permission and undergo drug testing and treatment.

Finch told Judge Mahony that at the height of his drug problem, which began in 2013, he was using 12 to 25 grams of cocaine a week and going on five-day benders.

There was evidence he from suffered post-concussion syndrome from repeated head knocks when playing football and had failed to adapt to life away from NRL. 

The court heard Finch was so ashamed of his actions he rarely left his home and since his arrest he had been abused when out in public.

Finch had no criminal record, had given his time to coaching and charities and had low prospects of reoffending. ‘I accept that he is genuinely remorseful for his offending conduct,’ Judge Mahony said

Psychologist Chris Lennings told the court Finch’s offending was not sexually motivated, but that it was important the ex-footballer was subjected to ‘biological drug testing’, such as hair follicle tests, in the future. Finch is pictured above with his wife Elli Johnston

He had unsuccessful applied for 300 jobs, was living off Centrelink payments and would be at grave physical risk from ‘hardened criminals’ in prison.

Finch told the court he left ‘twisted’ phone messages on FastMeet – a service for gay men – as he thought ‘hypersexualised’ users could be a last resort to get drugs.

‘I was disgusted in myself that I would leave these messages in the hope of obtaining drugs,’ Finch told the court. ‘Those words should never have come out of my mouth. I regret it now. It makes me sick now.’

Finch said his only goal in leaving the messages was to find a source to buy cocaine, telling the court he was introduced to the service by drug dealer connections.

Messages the 41-year-old left on the service were revealed in an agreed statement of facts tendered to court and included material too graphic to publish. 

Finch, pictured with wife Elli, was caught up in a wider investigation conducted under the banner of Strike Force Hank by officers from the NSW Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad

Finch played 330 first grade games for the Raiders, Roosters, Eels and Storm in the NRL and Wigan in the UK Super League. He is pictured right celebrating a win playing for NSW in game one of the 2006 State of Origin series in Sydney

Psychologist Chris Lennings told the court Finch’s offending was not sexually motivated, but that it was important the ex-footballer was subjected to drug tests.

‘In my assessment he does not present as having a sexual deviance,’ he said. 

Finch played 330 first grade games for the Raiders, Roosters, Eels and Storm in the NRL and Wigan in the UK Super League.

He played three State of Origins for NSW and won a premiership with Melbourne in 2009 but that title was stripped due to salary cap violations.

Finch’s crowning moment came in the 2006 Origin opener when he kicked a match-winning field goal for the Blues.

After retirement from league Finch worked in commentary for 2GB, Nine and Fox Sports but eventually lost all those jobs.

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