A 68-year-old child sex tourist has been handed a 12-month suspended sentence for attempting to groom a 15-year-old girl from the Philippines.
Blazo Vuksanovic was sentenced in Western Australia Supreme Court on Tuesday, after the Australian Federal Police raided the tourist’s home in Perth earlier this year.
Vuksanovic, who has terminal bowel cancer, asked the court to return his passport so he could travel to South America to procure scorpion venom to treat his cancer.
Blazo Vuksanovic (pictured), a 68-year-old child sex tourist has been handed a 12-month suspended sentence for attempting to groom a 15-year-old girl from the Philippines
After Vuksanovic’s arrest, his passport was confiscated and he began chemotherapy in Perth.
The 68-year-old pleaded guilty to grooming the teenage girl from the Philippines, who shut the man down by telling him he was ‘dirty’, The West Australian reports.
The conversation with the 15-year-lasted two days, with Vuksanovic telling her he loved her, that he wanted to meet her and that he wanted to ‘teach her’ sex.
An investigation by Australian Federal Police found an iPhone and iPad confirming that Vuksanovic was using the alias ‘Bill Montenegro’ online to chat to girls all over south-east Asia.
Vuksanovic, who has terminal bowel cancer, was also denied the return of his passport so he could travel to South America to procure scorpion venom for treatment
The 68-year-old had pleaded guilty to grooming the teenage girl from the Philippines, with an investigation by Australian Federal Police (stock image) finding an iPhone and iPad that confirmed he used the alias ‘Bill Montenegro’ online
In court on Tuesday, Judge Felicity Davis was told the 68-year-old had initially refused chemotherapy for his cancer, choosing to self-medicate with spider venom sourced from Paraguay.
In light of his terminal illness, Judge Davis handed Vuksanovic a 12 month jail term, immediately suspended on a 12-month, $500 good behaviour bond.
However, Judge Davis held firm in her decision not to allow Vuksanovic’s passport to be returned.
‘If he’s not well enough to go to prison, he is not well enough to travel,’ she said.
‘And it makes you wonder how he would get his medicine – if I can describe it that – back into Australia every time.’