A predatory Asian children’s book author who promoted multiculturalism and diversity in his stories could walk free in less than four years after being jailed for grooming girls aged 11 to 15.
Oliver Phommavanh, 43, faced Parramatta District Court for sentencing on Friday after last year pleading guilty to 10 charges including child grooming, attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child, and making and soliciting child abuse material.
The half-Thai half-Laotian former NSW primary school teacher took advantage of his profile as a popular writer to find and groom three victims in Sydney, Melbourne and Bangkok, sent them thousands of messages too explicit to describe, and talked them into sending him nude photos.
Two of the girls messaged him online after he made book presentations at their schools, ABC News reported, and he was eventually arrested after sending an explicit photo to an undercover police officer he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
Judge Peter Krisenthal gave Phommavanh a 25% sentencing discount for his early guilty pleas and jailed him for a maximum six-and-a-half years with a four-year-non parole period, making him eligible for release on February 1, 2030.
“The offender was an author of some fame and he relied on that fame not only for his access but to continue to manipulate,” Judge Krisenthal said during sentencing.
“His actions were, in my view, clearly predatory.
“The offender acknowledges the victims were vulnerable and unsuspecting, acknowledging he exploited their trust.”
But Judge Krisenthal also found the paedophile author was “genuinely remorseful”, was undergoing counselling for “significant personality issues”, and had good prospects of rehabilitation because he still had the support of his wife of 11 years.
Phommavanh will be placed on a child sex offender registry for 15 years once he is released.
Before his arrest he described himself as a “fresh, positive voice for cultural diversity in children’s literature”, said his books “carry a lot of heart and authentic characters living in a multicultural Australia” and were inspired by his own struggles to fit in as an Asian kid in Australia.
Header image: Left, Oliver Phommavanh (Instagram). Right, during his arrest (NSW Police).
