A Sydney-based criminal barrister has been charged with possessing child abuse material, with police alleging he possessed images of child pornography and engaged in “very disturbing” conversations involving minors.
Editor’s note: This story contains references to child abuse. Discretion is advised.
A Sydney barrister has been charged with possessing and transmitting child abuse material, after police allegedly discovered he held child pornography and participated in an online chat discussing the potential rape of a 16-year-old.
Mark Dennis SC, a veteran barrister with over 25 years of experience, was arrested at Sydney Airport on Tuesday (20 January) by the Australian Federal Police following his return from Cambodia, where he oversees a charity for disadvantaged children.
Police said Dennis was intercepted by Australian Border Force officers, who conducted an “intelligence-led screening” of his luggage upon his arrival in Sydney.
Officers from the AFP and Australian Border Force then commenced searching Dennis’ luggage, to which they allegedly found child abuse material on his phone and devices linked to a cloud storage account.
A subsequent examination of his phone by the AFP allegedly uncovered images of child pornography, as well as sexualised conversations with and about minors.
The 65-year-old now faces charges of possessing or controlling child abuse material, importing prohibited tier 2 goods without approval, and two counts of using a carriage service to transmit such material.
Dennis was remanded in custody overnight before appearing in a Sydney court on Wednesday for the determination of whether bail would be granted to him.
Crown prosecutors urged the magistrate to refuse bail, with Commonwealth prosecutor Jonathan Kisch telling the court the alleged conversations showed Dennis had “an indication of an awareness of laws around consent and a willingness to subvert those laws”.
Kisch further told the court that Dennis was allegedly involved in a “very disturbing” online chat describing the potential “desire to rape a 16-year old”.
The court heard that 12 devices were linked to a Dropbox account containing a single photograph of a boy aged between six and 10, with the Commonwealth prosecutor alleging other images may have been exchanged during the online chats.
When the AFP later searched Dennis’ home, officers allegedly located an iPad bearing a note indicating it would be deleted if connected to the internet, raising concerns that investigators feared he could remotely access or destroy evidence if released.
Representing Dennis, fellow Forbes Chambers barrister Michael Burke submitted that his client would immediately step away from legal practice and sought bail to allow him to wind down a career of more than four decades.
Burke also told the court of the significant health issues that Dennis is facing that require ongoing medical attention, including type 2 diabetes and a stroke suffered 18 months ago.
His counsel further emphasised Dennis’ lack of any prior criminal record and his strong family and community ties.
Bail was granted by acting Magistrate Robert Cook, who concluded that Dennis was not a flight risk and that the proposed restrictions adequately mitigated any potential danger to the community.
Under the bail conditions, Dennis must reside at an address in Leichhardt, report to police five times a week, avoid contact with anyone under the age of 18, and refrain from using social media or the internet except for contacting his lawyer or managing online banking.
Dennis’ legal career spans decades, starting as a solicitor with the Western Aboriginal Legal Service in the 1990s, becoming an accredited criminal law specialist in 1997, and being admitted as a barrister in 2001.
In 2015, he was awarded the Terry Keaney Memorial Award, described on the Forbes Chambers website as recognising a barrister’s “excellence”, “dedication to the profession”, and “commitment to social justice”.
The 65-year-old is scheduled to return to court for the charges in March.
For support, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028, Lifeline 13 11 14, and Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.
