An Adelaide relief teacher who downloaded child exploitation and bestiality material because of his “shocked curiosity and a sense of extreme taboo” has been spared jail to care for his wife of 30 years.

Key points:

  • The father-of-one was interested in “taboo subjects such as bestiality and incest”
  • He was found in possession of 57 files of child exploitation material
  • His crimes were at the severe end of the scale

Giulio Pederiva, 57, pleaded guilty to possessing 57 files of child exploitation material on his laptop and hard drives.

In sentencing, District Court Judge Jane Schammer said the majority were videos on the “severe end of the scale depicting serious exploitation and abuse of children” and many of those children were under the age of 14.

Some of the material had been in Pederiva’s possession for about five years.

“The downloading and viewing of child exploitation material promotes its distribution and motivates the ongoing exploitation and abuse of children.

“It is because people have an interest in viewing such material that children are forced to commit the acts.”

The father-of-one told police when he was arrested in November 2019 that he had downloaded the child exploitation material by mistake while downloading adult pornography and had taken steps to erase it.

But Judge Schammer said he later told psychiatrists he had viewed some of the child exploitation and bestiality material — with one finding Pederiva had “paedophilic sexual tendencies”.

“But you denied any specific arousal from this material, instead describing your interest as being in the form of shocked curiosity and a sense of extreme taboo,” Judge Schammer said.

“Your offending occurred in the context of … your wife’s declining health and worsening disabilities which led to a corresponding decline in your level of intimacy as a couple.

“You developed an interest in homosexual activities and taboo subjects such as bestiality and incest.”

Judge Schammer said Pederiva told psychiatrists he committed the offending because he was bored and as a means of alleviating stress but was now “ashamed and remorseful for doing so”.

‘Wife was shocked and horrified’

Pederiva was born in Italy and emigrated to Australia in 1993 where he became a qualified teacher.

He had been working as a relief and contract teacher but has since been deregistered by the teaching board.

Judge Jane Schammer placed Pederiva on a three-year bond.(

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Judge Schammer said Pederiva has been unemployed since his arrest but received a carers pension as he was the sole carer for his wife who has multiple sclerosis.

Judge Schammer sentenced him to two years in prison with a non-parole period of 14 months, but suspended his sentence so Pederiva could continue to care for his wife and continue his own rehabilitation.

Judge Schammer said Pederiva had no prior criminal history and was at low risk of reoffending.

He has been placed on a three-year good behaviour bond.

Posted , updated