WA: 71-year-old man jailed for six years over child sex tours
By Liza Kappelle
PERTH, April 4 AAP - A 71-year-old self-proclaimed child-welfare proponent was todayjailed for six years for organising a child sex tour in Thailand from his Perth retirementhome.
But former Melbourne schoolteacher Jonathan Kaye maintained he was framed and wouldappeal his conviction - the first of its kind in Australia.
Kaye was sentenced in the West Australian District Court after being found guilty ofthe crime for which he was arrested in January 2001 after police tapped 1,323 phone callsmade to and from his retirement home.
Judge Shauna Deane told Kaye today the jury last month had been convinced he offeredan additional service to his travel business, and had offered to arrange child sex fora client, Graham Adair, 70.
Adair - who responded to Kaye's travel advertisement in a gay newspaper which he foundin a sauna - testified that Kaye claimed to have had sex with a 16-year-old boy and tohave "smoked" an even younger child's penis.
Adair, who denied any interest in child sex, said Kaye advised him to take a honeydispenser and stimulation items, to Thailand.
Defence lawyer David Moen said Kaye denied the crime and would appeal his conviction.
However Kaye had expressed remorse for placing the ad in a gay newspaper where it couldhave been misconstrued, Mr Moen said.
The ad read: "Thai boy, young, fit, hunk, caring and English speaking, would like tobe your personal guide when in Thailand. Prefer older men. Contact my friend in Perth."
Judge Deane told Kaye his crime was "highly exploitative and sexually deviant".
She said the Australian parliament clearly felt, through the wording of the Child SexTourism provisions of the Crimes Act, there was no difference whether a sex act took placeor not.
Judge Deane said Kaye had a long history of working with children as a teacher in Melbourne,WA and overseas.
He had sponsored several male Asian students and supported Save the Children Australia.
Kaye changed his name by deed poll from John Joseph Kosky, after having problems withthe Jewish community.
The problems arose after he was arrested, but not convicted, in Thailand in 1997 and1999, over child sex related offences.
Kaye was today sentenced to six years jail with a non-parole period of three years.
The commonwealth offence carries a 17 year maximum penalty.
AAP lk/cjh/de
KEYWORD: KAYE
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