23-05-2025
Perth man James Paul Ellis-Kendrick accused of posing as juvenile to manipulate underage girls
A 20-year-old man accused of posing as a juvenile online to manipulate three underage girls into sending him explicit images is free on bail as he awaits his next court appearance.
James Paul Ellis-Kendrick from the northern Perth suburb of Carramar is accused of lying about his age and sexually exploiting children online.
He allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations with three girls under the age of 16 on an instant messaging app.
Police allege that after the victims sent images, he tried to manipulate them into sending more, and threatened to screenshot images sent by one girl when she refused.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said it started its investigation after receiving a report from the National Center For Missing And Exploited Children in the United States.
After a six month investigation, Mr Ellis-Kendrick was arrested at his home in April and his mobile phone and computer was seized.
He appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday morning, but was not required to plea to his three charges.
The court heard that further analysis of Mr Ellis-Kendrick's devices was needed and the appropriateness of the charges in their current form had to be considered.
Mr Ellis-Kendrick is scheduled to return to court in July.
One of the charges he is facing carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In announcing the arrest, AFP Inspector Shona Davis said parents needed to be diligent about their children speaking to strangers online.
"They need to be reminded to never reveal personal information to anyone they communicate with online,'' she said.
