Four men have been charged over their alleged involvement in an international satanic child sex abuse ring, following an investigation into a Sydney-based paedophile network trading alarming abuse material through an internationally administered website.
Police arrested Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills, 26, at a Waterloo apartment on Thursday, a self-styled independent investigative journalist alleged to have played a leading role in the child abuse ring.
He was charged with seven counts of using a carriage service to make child abuse available, use carriage service to access child abuse material, three counts of possessing child abuse data-use carriage service, two counts of disseminating bestiality material, and possessing bestiality material.
Germanotta-Mills was arrested in a matching zebra print outfit, and wore a blue beanie to cover his face.
He is the founder of the Underground Media Network, an “independent Australian investigative journalism platform committed to exposing institutional abuse, systemic failures, and the misuse of power”. Police corruption and child protection are among the issues the Underground Media Network investigates, according to its website.
Three other men allegedly involved in the paedophile network were arrested at a unit block in Malabar on Thursday, and charged with several child abuse offences.
Landon Ashton Versace Germanotta-Mills.Credit: Facebook
Benjamin Raymond Drysdale, 46, was charged with using a carriage service to make child abuse available, two counts of contravening a prohibition order, two counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations and possessing a prohibited drug.
Mark Andrew Sendecky, 42, was charged with possessing child abuse data-use carriage service, using a carriage to access child abuse material, and possessing child abuse material.
Stuart Woods Riches, 39, was charged with possessing child abuse material, possessing bestiality material, using a carriage to access child abuse material, five counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations and two counts of possessing a prohibited drug.
A social media profile picture of Landon Germanotta-Mills.Credit: Underground Media Network
Police escort Germanotta-Mills from a Waterloo home after his arrest.Credit: Police Media
Detectives uncovered the alleged paedophile network following investigations into the distribution of child sexual abuse involving ritualistic or satanic themes online.
The four men appeared in court on Friday.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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