<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A former boat skipper has been jailed for trying to meet up with a 13-year-old boy to have sex after offering him a PlayStation device in exchange.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Luke Edward Reynolds, 29, pleaded guilty in </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/brisbane" rel="" target="" title="Brisbane"><span>Brisbane</span></a><span> District Court today to seven offences relating to the indecent treatment and use of electronic communications to procure a child under 16.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds started speaking to a 13-year-old boy on an online chat platform before moving to Snapchat to have "exclusively sexually explicit" conversations in April 2024.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/money-news-new-finder-survey-reveals-millions-of-australians-relying-on-inheritance-due-to-cost-of-living-crisis-for-major-financial-milestones-such-as-purchasing-a-home-and-retirement/6d3e4036-21fa-4061-a0ff-739766cb14f8"><strong><span>Millions of Australians relying on an inheritance to achieve major financial goals</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He sent multiple photos of his erect penis to the child and an animated image of two men having sex asking the boy "should we try this?", crown prosecutor Isabelle MacNicol told the court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He offered the boy a PlayStation device in exchange for sex.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds discussed with the boy to meet in person to have sex and whether other males could join in.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/man-tried-offering-a-playstation-to-lure-child-for-sex-brisbane-court-news/fea113a9-3455-4213-ab68-60a9cb184266" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also sent the boy a photo of a blue cooler bag that contained lubricant, condoms and anal cream.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds arranged to meet with the boy outside Cannon Hill's YMCA in Brisbane's south and brought the cooler bag to the meeting.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The boy became nervous during the meeting and decided not to go ahead with the sexual activities that had been discussed, leaving on his push bike.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When the child returned home, his parents became suspicious and took his phone to discover the raft of messages and reported it to the police.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds continued to message the boy, asking to meet up again and sent more explicit photos, but this time it was a police officer behind the screen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>After four days, he arranged with an officer purporting to be the child to meet at the same YMCA where police swooped to arrest Reynolds.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was again holding the cooler bag with the same items inside and was found to have images of naked children on his phone by officers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds admitted during a police interview that he knew the boy was under 16, even suspecting he was younger than 13, and intended to have sex with him.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The offending is characterised as persistent, predatory and premeditated," MacNicol said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-surry-hills-bodies-found-inside-home-believed-to-have-died-at-different-times/d2a842f5-e3a6-4bd7-9064-efa6c1cdd4d1"><strong><span>Police believe men found dead in Sydney home died at different times</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Defence barrister Patrick Wilson argued that Reynolds was remorseful and had suffered as a result of his offending, losing his job as a ferry driver for a resort.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A psychologist's report detailed that Reynolds was a loner as a child and had never had a relationship or sexual contact, Wilson told the court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It also disputed that Reynolds was a pedophile; instead, Wilson argued the offending was a product of a "sexually naive person".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Judge Brad Farr called Reynolds' crimes "demonstrably serious" and "vile" given that he knew at all times the boy was under 16.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The evidence of the fact you were willing to pursue in sexual activity with a child by arriving at the pre-arranged location on two separate occasions and bringing with you paraphernalia designed to achieve that purpose, all of which aggravates the seriousness of the offending," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and will serve six months before being released on probation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was protracted, even after the child exhibited concern about following through with what had been discussed and perhaps even fear," Judge Farr said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"You persisted to encourage him to do so, you placed your own sexual gratification to the forefront with little, if any, thought to the potential harm to the complainant."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Lifeline 13 11 14</span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)</span></strong></div></div>