A 26-year-old man has been sentenced in Cairns District Court after pleading guilty to a series of serious offences involving a child and child exploitation material. The court heard the offences occurred in 2025 and involved the secret recording and storage of images of a young girl, along with other illegal material later discovered on the man's electronic device.

The man, Dylan John Ritchie, pleaded guilty to five offences, including indecent treatment of a child under 12, possessing child exploitation material and making child exploitation material. The case was heard in Cairns District Court, where the court considered the circumstances of the offending, the impact on the victim and the man's personal circumstances before determining the sentence.

The court heard the child was under nine years old when the offending occurred. The material came to light after the girl discovered that Ritchie had been recording and viewing images of her on his phone. The discovery was subsequently reported to the child's mother, who provided the device to police.

Investigators later identified additional child exploitation material stored on the phone. The material included multiple videos and images unrelated to the young girl involved in the main offending. The investigation also identified an artificially generated image among the material found on the device.

The court was told that Ritchie had recorded videos involving the young girl during 2025 and later extracted hundreds of images from that footage. More than 500 images were stored on the phone. The evidence presented during sentencing indicated that the material had been deliberately organised and retained.

The case has had a significant emotional impact on the victim and her family. A victim impact statement presented to the court described the loss of trust and the continuing concerns experienced by the family following the discovery of the offending. The child's mother told the court that the incident had changed how the family approached everyday activities and affected their sense of security.

Ritchie's defence raised his intellectual disability, difficulties with reading and his lack of positive role models while growing up as factors that should be considered during sentencing. The court acknowledged his intellectual limitations and the fact that he had accepted responsibility by entering guilty pleas.

However, the sentencing judge also considered the deliberate nature of the offending. The court found that Ritchie understood that his actions were wrong and criminal, despite his personal limitations. The judge emphasised that the offending involved taking deliberate steps to record, retain and organise prohibited material.

Ritchie was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment. The sentence was suspended after he serves three months in custody, followed by an 18-month probation period. The probation order includes a requirement that he undertake medical and psychiatric treatment.

The sentence reflects the seriousness with which the court viewed the offences while also taking into account the guilty pleas and the circumstances presented by the defence.

The case highlights the serious consequences associated with offences involving children and illegal exploitation material. It also demonstrates the importance of protecting children from abuse and ensuring that suspected exploitation is reported to authorities so that evidence can be investigated and appropriate legal action can follow.