A Sydney businessman who called himself the ‘pedo bro’ has been jailed after sending dozens of child abuse videos in an online group.
James Terence Rebbeck, 40, was arrested at his Leichhardt home, in the city’s inner west, in February 2024 as part of a NSW Police investigation into an international paedophile ring.
The abhorrent criminal activity involved hundreds of men around the world filming each other watching child abuse material.
Jimmy Rebbeck, as he is also known, was sentenced to three years’ jail for soliciting, accessing, transmitting and disseminating child abuse material over 15 months in the NSW District Court.
The businessman, who grew up on the state’s South Coast, previously owned an inner-city Sydney cafe.
He sent child abuse material to five users of the encrypted platform Telegram between November 2022 and February 2024, reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Penrith District Court heard the 40-year-old also sent bestiality material to four people.
In November 2022, Mr Rebbeck told a Telegram user he was ‘devastated’ because he ‘lost f***ing everything’ after ‘hours of collecting rape vids’.
James Terence Rebbeck (pictured) has been sentenced to three years’ jail for soliciting, accessing, transmitting and disseminating child abuse material over 15 months
Mr Rebbeck was arrested at his Leichhardt home, in the city’s inner west, in February 2024 as part of a NSW Police investigation into an international paedophile ring (pictured)
Rebbeck asked if he could be added to ‘pedo groups’.
‘Pedo bro here is desperate,’ he wrote.
Police first became aware of Mr Rebbeck in April 2023 when they identified a Zoom meeting he was logged into.
He was arrested months later and in his initial police interview he admitted to possessing child abuse material.
Mr Rebbeck then handed over his pin codes and passwords to police.
He pleaded guilty to four child abuse material charges.
In court he was asked if he believed he had a sexual interest in children, which he denied and said the offending occurred due to heavy ‘stimulant usage’.
Jeremy Etkind, Mr Rebbeck’s barrister, told the court his client was ‘horrified’ about his behaviour, but didn’t remember it because of his drug use.
Mr Rebbeck was arrested after police first became aware of the offender in April 2023 when they identified a Zoom meeting he was logged into
The Crown prosecutor asked Mr Rebbeck: ‘Is a risk you have a sexual interest in children?’ He replied: ‘I guess, if drugs are involved.’
‘It’s very easy for people to think ‘I’m just looking at photos’ but all the images are horrible and they’re all real children,’ Judge Robert Newlinds SC said.
Mr Rebbeck was sentenced to three years’ jail with his sentence partially suspended after 20 months on the condition he enter a recognisance of $100 without security.
Strike Force Packer officers said the international paedophile ring in question was spread across Australia, Europe, Asia and the US.
NSW Police Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said there were ‘hundreds’ of people allegedly participating in the video calls and exposing themselves.
Tracing the children in the files is a ‘top priority’ said NSW Police.
