A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack (pictured) has pleaded guilty to two charges of sending child pornography using a carriage service
The horrific ‘fantasy’ messages A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack sent to another man have been revealed in court documents – with the former Nine journalist even describing himself as a ‘total pedo’.
In agreed facts tendered to the court, the 42-year-old said he loved young boys ‘so much’ and confessed he would ‘perve… non-stop at the beach, shopping centre and movie theatres’ and apparently believed he would ‘always’ be a paedophile.
McCormack – who pleaded guilty to two charges of sending child porn via a carriage service on Tuesday – had Skype conversations with an unknown man between April 2015 and February 2017.
In the conversations, the prominent reporter adopted the username ‘oz4skinboi’ and apparently identified his preferred age bracket to a stranger as those aged 7 to 12.
In the first message tendered in court facts, McCormack claimed he was ’28 gay single love young bs too’.
The other man replied: ‘Yummmm’.
The senior Nine Network journalist (pictured), 42, appeared calm in the front row of a Sydney courtroom as his solicitor Sam Macedone entered the pleas
One of the conversations, as contained in the court documents (digital mock-up)
Another of the conversations between the man and McCormack, as contained in court papers
A third conversation between the pair, as contained in the court papers
The 42-year-old (pictured) was the face for the Nine Network’s investigation into paedophile Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes
McCormack said: ‘7-12’
The man replied: ‘U wanna f*kk one cool, 3-12 for me’.
‘F**k yes. U’, said McCormack, before the other man replied ‘hell yes’.
According to the court documents, McCormack continued that he ‘love(s) small smooth hairless’ before speaking about performing a sex act on the adult man.
On August 18, 2016, McCormack spoke about how the other man’s confession he ‘touch(ed) quite a few boy bums today’ and how ‘when they become behind my desk I just put my arm around them’ was ‘so hot’.
In the same conversation, McCormack said ‘they’re amazing in speedos…. small speedos, so small, I love them so much’ and said ‘f*** man I love y b sooooo much…. wen can we have a hot vid session’ (sic).
In a separate conversation, McCormack said he was ‘sometimes’ up for trading videos, according to the court documents.
He also appeared to tell the unknown man he will always be a paedophile.
‘U think I’ll always be a p?’ the man asked McCormack.
McCormack is pictured leaving the Downing Centre Local Court with his solicitor Sam Macedone after pleading guilty
The journalist replied: ‘Yep. U… I’ll always have the attraction…they are beautiful.’
On November 5, 2016, court documents show the unknown male sent three images, including at least one with a ‘boy’ in it, to McCormack.
He replied: ‘Cute as’.
According to the court papers, in January, the man asked McCormack if ‘u eva think u’ll play with one? Or just fantasy’.
McCormack replied: ‘I’d love to’.
In the conversation, the court papers said he also made references including ‘I wana get pedo with u’ and ‘proud Ped, proud b lover’.
The court document said McCormack and the pair exchanged a number of pictures. But the facts said ‘the material sent is not available.
‘Accordingly, there is no evidence that the images sent by the accused were of children in pornographic poses or activities’.
The second charge sequence relates to a 30 second video of McCormack masturbating.
‘Oh I perve non stop man, the beach, shopping centres, movies. Yeah I love it,’ he said.
On Tuesday morning, McCormack appeared calm in the front row of a Sydney courtroom as his solicitor Sam Macedone entered the pleas.
McCormack (centre) smiled at reporters and said hello to journalists as he was granted bail
The charges of sending child pornography using a carriage service carry a maximum jail sentence of 15 years jail.
McCormack – the face for the network’s investigation into paedophile Hey Dad! star Robert Hughes – was committed to the District Court for sentencing on October 6.
The frowning 42-year-old looked drastically different this week compared to his days as a TV reporter.
McCormack smiled at reporters and said hello to journalists as he was granted bail.
He pleaded guilty to the charges after a new agreed statement of facts was tendered in Downing Centre Local Court.
Mr Macedone said McCormack ‘always admitted to what he’s done however the facts weren’t exactly correct’.
‘I just wanted to make it quite clear that were was never any images that were traded between Ben and anyone else of any child exploitation material,’ he said outside the court.
‘It was nothing more than fantasy talk, but no transporting of images.
‘That’s what I wanted, that’s what we’ve got, so we’re now pleading guilty and we’ll move on from there.’
It’s understood the 42-year-old resigned from the Nine Network several weeks ago.
‘He has resigned and we are not commenting,’ a spokeswoman confirmed.
McCormack (pictured) has been committed to the District Court for sentencing on October 6
McCormack was suspended by Nine after NSW police raided ACA’s Sydney office and his home
It’s understood the 42-year-old (pictured) resigned from the Nine Network several weeks ago
‘I just wanted to make it quite clear that were was never any images that were traded between Ben and anyone else of any child exploitation material,’ Mr Macedone said outside the court
The prominent tabloid reporter was initially suspended from his duties in April after he was pulled over by police in Moore Park, in Sydney’s inner east, and charged.
Investigators raided A Current Affair’s Willoughby offices as well as McCormack’s then-home in Alexandria, where they seized computers and other electronic equipment.
Police released several minutes of footage of his arrest. Screenshots of his Grindr profile and details of his involvement in a bizarre film with a father-son incest plot also surfaced.
Days after the charges were laid, McCormack was hospitalised and received treatment from a mental health facility.
Mr Macedone said McCormack was ‘fine’ on Tuesday, but the journalist declined to answer questions as he was escorted to a waiting car.
Days after the charges were laid, McCormack was hospitalised and received treatment from a mental health facility (pictured)
Mr Macedone said McCormack was ‘fine’ on Tuesday, but the journalist declined to answer questions as he was escorted to a waiting car
The frowning 42-year-old looked drastically different this week compared to his days as a leading TV reporter
Mr Macedone (centre) said McCormack ‘always admitted to what he’s done however the facts weren’t exactly correct’