AN ARARAT man who messaged several underage girls in breach of sex offender registry conditions has been handed a prison sentence.
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Travis Walker, 25, pleaded guilty via prison link to more than 30 charges of breaching sex offender registry reporting obligations, breaching bail conditions, and assault.
The Ararat Magistrates' Court was told Walker, who was committed to the sex offender registry for earlier offending, possessed a phone and laptop, which he did not declare to the police.
Further online inquiries found Walker had also created five separate Facebook accounts, a Snapchat account, and a Whatsapp account.
On May 27, 2020, police seized the phone and laptop during a search warrant at Walker's Ararat address.
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A subsequent inquiry on the devices found that Walker had knowingly contacted several underage girls on the Facebook Messenger application without telling the police.
In the messages sent throughout May 2020, Walker asked multiple girls if they 'liked older guys' and were single.
Of the girls Walker had messaged, 15 had disclosed to him they were under 18, with some aged as young as 13.
In a separate matter on June 5, 2020, Walker assaulted a DHHS worker at the accommodation he was staying in Ararat.
At 11am, the two were having a conversation during which the worker told Walker the power to the property would be out for some time.
Walker punched the worker, who was thrown off balance but did not sustain any injuries.
Magistrate Tim Walsh sentenced Walker to a 90-day term of imprisonment, recognised as already served.
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