'Aggrieved' sextortionist of 49 teens wants out of jail
Kurtis Whaley, 29, was hit with a maximum jail sentence of almost 10 years in May 2020 after admitting to posing as a 16-year-old Perth girl and persuading his victims to send him explicit material.
He chatted with the teenage boys online, covertly saving the material to blackmail the victims later into sending more explicit photos or videos.
His non-parole period of six years and four months expired on June 19.
But six days earlier, a delegate of Commonwealth Attorney-General Michelle Rowland denied his release.
Whaley claims he was "aggrieved" by the decision in a Federal Court case filed earlier in July.
"His interests are adversely affected by the decision, having been denied parole," court documents seen by AAP say.
The 29-year-old alleges Ms Rowland improperly exercised her powers by denying him parole without considering one of its purposes: reintegration into the community.
The Federal Court has been asked to quash the original decision and to send the matter back to the attorney-general to be reconsidered.
A spokesman for Ms Rowland declined to explain why parole had been refused or comment on the court case.
"The Albanese government is committed to ensuring the safety of the community," he said.
When Whaley was sentenced in May 2020, NSW District Court Judge Ian Bourke found he engaged in a "premeditated system of intimidation" to entice his victims to share further explicit material.
He clearly and cleverly tricked victims into supplying pictures of their faces "to enslave them ... to satisfy his perverted sexual desires," the judge wrote in his decision.
If his blackmailing demands were not met, he then shared what he had with those close to the victims, including their underage friends and siblings.
The conduct was "nothing short of cruel and merciless," Judge Bourke wrote.
The offending began in 2014 on Skype and video chat site Omegle before Whaley turned to Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, where he was able to exploit his victims' close relationships.
Boys tricked into complying with Whaley's demands came from areas including Victoria, NSW and Queensland, as well as New Zealand and the United States.
Whaley's challenge against the parole decision has not been allocated a hearing date.
His full jail sentence will expire on August 19, 2028.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
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