Grant Harden: paedophile soccer coach, disability worker sentenced

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

The disturbing full extent of a Sydney paedophile's depraved abuse and exploitation of young boys can now be revealed after he was sentenced to a minimum 22-years behind bars.

Kids soccer coach and disability support worker Grant Harden, 31, filmed his sexual abuse of seven children and shared it with other paedophiles in exchange for more child abuse material.

According to a statement of agreed facts tendered in court, the children were aged as young as four and subject to sexual abuse.

Much of the material in the facts statement, which ran to more than 60 pages, is too disturbing to publish and outlines hundreds of examples of abuse Harden or other paedophiles carried out with children.

Court documents state several of the children were forced to touch each other, shower together, perform sex acts on Harden or have him perform sex acts on them.

One of the children told police they did it for rewards after Harden exploited their interest in popular video game Fortnite and offered to give them what are known as “skins” in the game.

Australian Federal Police arrested Harden in May 2020 after child protection operatives became aware of material circulating online.

When police seized his phone more than 450 videos and images were found. They included material both featuring Harden and other men.

The revolting imagery included an 18-month-old baby trying to “wriggle out” of an unknown adult male’s grip and other content too horrific to publish.

Police also discovered that Harden had posted more than 100 advertisements seeking out child abuse material.

“Any perv dads big bros uncles teachers babysitters etc,” Harden wrote.

“Must be willing to show boy.

“28 Pervy Dad Looking to Chat with Under 14 or if you’re with a little boy.”

When police spoke to Harden he said he felt “excited and aroused” when he looked at child abuse material.

He sat in silence from a room at Long Bay jail, showing no emotion as NSW District Court Judge Sarah Huggett sentenced him on Friday.

The court heard Harden had a good upbringing and no mental health or substance abuse issues

“The offender engaged in repeated and ongoing offending against children over many years in circumstances where he knew what he was doing was wrong,” judge Huggett said.

“He repeatedly placed himself in positions that have him access to boys.”

Judge Huggett said Harden made efforts to hide his crimes, but he made no effort to stop.

The court was told he was allegedly sexually touched as a child, however judge Huggett said there was “insufficient evidence” to make a finding that it contributed to the crime.

In a letter of tendered in court, Harden said he wanted to apologise for his actions.

“I hate what I did and I hate what I put them through,” he said.

The court was told that to stop his sexual urges, Harden agreed to take anti-libidinal medication when he was released from jail.

He was convicted of more than 170 child abuse offences he pleaded guilty to, including multiple counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10, transmitting child abuse material, possessing it and sexually touching children.

Judge Huggett imposed a 30-year term of imprisonment with a non parole period of 22 years, backdated to when Harden first entered custody in 2020.

Harden will be 51 when he first becomes eligible for parole in 2042.

The court was told Harden’s victims were likely to suffer lifelong psychological damage and had already experienced heightened anger, difficulty toileting, nightmares, fear of men, self-loathing, loneliness and strained relationships with their parents.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrGWcp51jrrZ7zZqroqeelrlwr86uqa2rXaGuuHvGq5inrF2drrOwxKdkqZmVmbyxtMilnGarqZm7psWMrKacm5WneqS7wJyfZpyZqK6jtcuiq7Jlp6S%2FrLHRZqqepqSau6Sxw2ilnq%2BjYsC1u9GyZpxvlZeucn%2BYnG6fa5Wbg3aCw5%2Bbmm1gabCifcRsam6e