Bunbury member of paedophile ring pleads guilty to child sex offences

Appearing via video link from Hakea Prison, Troy Phillip Milbourne, 42, pleaded guilty in Bunbury District Court on Monday to four counts of having indecent dealings with a child under 13 years and three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13 years. 

The court was told Milbourne responded to an online advertisement from the girl’s father who was seeking other middle-aged men for friendship. 

Having met up, the victim’s father invited Milbourne to visit his house, sometime between January 1, 2014 and November 24, 2014. 

Prosecutor Justin Whalley said during the visit Milbourne engaged in a number of inappropriate acts with the young girl.

Defence lawyer Simon Freitag told the court his client had “some doubts” about the age of the girl but continued after a conversation with the father where he claimed she was “about 17 or 18”. 

“My client instructs me he had some doubts but ultimately trusted what her father said,” Mr Freitag said.

He also noted his client made disclosures when interviewed by police on June 17, 2015 and offered to give evidence against the father.

Milbourne was set to be sentenced on Monday but the prosecution and defence disputed a small point around whether Milbourne had pressured the victim to get into a shower with him or whether her father did without Milbourne’s knowledge. 

Judge Michael Bowden adjourned the case until September 30 for a one day trial of that issue. Milbourne will be sentenced once that issue is settled. 

The case first came to light in 2015 after police uncovered a paeodophile ring in Perth. They found a 42-year-old man had repeatedly raped his daughter between the ages of 11 and 13 and allegedly pimped her out to six other men, including Milbourne. 

Last month the father pleaded guilty to 61 offences in Perth District Court and was sentenced to 22 and a half years’ jail. He can not be named to protect the identity of his daughter.

Among the co-accused, photographer Benjamin Simon Clarke was sentenced to three years in jail while former pastor and father-of-two, David Volmer, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in jail. Three more men also face charges.