Former Melbourne label boss pleads guilty to paying underage boy for sex

A former Melbourne record label boss has been convicted of paying an underage boy, who he met on gay dating app Grindr, for sex.

As first reported by news.com.au, the 41-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one count of agreeing to provide sexual services of a child in the County Court of Victoria yesterday. The man was given a 18-month community corrections order and a $4,000 fine instead of facing a prison term.

The man began speaking with the boy over Grindr in June 2019 under the screen name 'Hosting Young Grp Sex'. At first, the 15-year-old boy told the man he was 16, before telling him he was 15, then 14. After being invited over by the man, the boy replied "nah, I don’t do s*** for free aye”. The man then offered to pay the boy, telling him there will be “more $ if u bring younger mates with u".

The teen eventually went over to the man's house in September, after which point he was given $350 and sent home in a taxi. He told his father, the police and a psychologist days later.

In the court's decision, Judge Kevin Doyle said the man's “persistence” in paying for sex was s factor in the case, but the messages were not threatening or coercive in nature.

“It is well established that children will be harmed by premature sexual experience of all kinds and must be protected from themselves and the potential for immature judgment,” Doyle said.