Recordings of alleged conversations in which former television reporter Ben McCormack discussed sex with young boys on a gay chat site are at the centre of 69 new charges. If convicted, he faces sentences of up to 15 years.
Queensland Police charged the former A Current Affair journalist with using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material from his parents' Brisbane home or elsewhere on multiple occasions, including on Christmas Day 2024. The conversations allegedly took place on the FastMeet gay and bisexual mobile app or phone chat service over an eight-month period.
According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, McCormack, 52, allegedly talked about his love of little boys and underage sex, saying: 'I'm a f***in' pedo man.' He allegedly told another man that he loved school holidays on the Gold Coast because of the 'sexy little boys', 'hairless' boys and stated 'I love small'.
The recordings on the gay link-up service, which warns users that 'this service is monitored and may be recorded', form the core of 64 charges against McCormack. He is accused of using a carriage service to transmit or make available child abuse material, and to cause child abuse material to be transmitted to himself.
Court documents tendered during a bail application allege sexually explicit exchanges about fantasies involving the assault or abuse of boys. Crown prosecutors say FastMeet later blacklisted McCormack's mobile number used during one-on-one calls with other men and for audio recordings on the service.
McCormack's television career ended in 2017 when he pleaded guilty to child abuse material charges in New South Wales. The former lifeguard, who once trained Nippers at North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club, was living at his parents' home in south-west Brisbane at the time of the alleged offences.
He told another FastMeet subscriber: 'I love school holidays and stuff especially down the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Yeah, sexy little boys in singlets and shorts, yeah with sexy hairless little legs. I love standing at urinals at the footy and stuff like that. I feel like a perv but like I just look at little boys.'
All the charges against him relate to alleged conversations over an eight-month period in 2024. On New Year's Eve that year, he allegedly told another man about his love of 'f***ing underage boy sex' and 'I f***in' love little pre-teen boys'.
In an affidavit at Brisbane’s Supreme Court, the Crown opposed McCormack's release on bail over the 'risk of re-offending and risk of flight'. It said McCormack's prior offending in NSW was 'similar but less extensive than the allegations in the current matter'.
The alleged child abuse material in the current charges is made up of audio recordings where McCormack is alleged to have discussed his sexual fantasies about children with other users. 'In the recordings [McCormack] is alleged to have described the rape and sexual abuse of male children, expressing a preference for boys aged eight and nine,' the court documents added.
McCormack was given a three-year, $1,000 good behaviour bond by NSW District Court in 2017 after pleading guilty to two charges of using a carriage service to transmit child abuse material. He recorded no conviction, but was placed on the child sex offenders register which requires him to report his use of social networking sites, his digital devices and mobile phone numbers.
Three of the new charges against him are of failing to comply with reporting obligations, and one of giving false or misleading information. No pleas have been entered. McCormack has been behind bars for just over nine months since his arrest in August last year and had his bail application adjourned.
