A young Australian mum has spoken out about the moment she found out her now ex-husband and the father of her then-unborn son was a paedophile.
Speaking to The Project Australia, Georgia revealed that on the day of her 20-week scan she couldn't get in contact with her ex-husband - and when he finally came home, he told her his phone had broken.
She said despite him saying this, she knew the broken phone wasn't the reason he hadn't been in contact with her all day.
"I kept pressing him and pressing him. And that's when he told me that day he'd been arrested and that he was facing charges of child sexual abuse," she told The Project Australia.
Her ex-husband thought he had been asking 14 and 15-year-old girls to send nude images of themselves to him online, but he had been speaking to undercover police officers. He was caught in the act and arrested.
He pleaded guilty to two charges, including using a carriage service to someone who was under 16 years old, news.com.au reported.
Georgia's ex-husband was given a one-year suspended sentence, 150 hours of community service and was made to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
News.com.au reported Georgia thinks the judge gave her husband a lighter sentence because their marriage had broken down.
She recounted that in her ex-husband's sentencing, the judge said: "The end of your marriage and the resulting impact that that's had on your relationship with your newborn child is essentially sufficient punishment to deter you from ever conducting these acts again."
Their son was born four months after his father was charged.
"My son deserved to have a mother that was happy and safe and calm, not stressed out. My son deserved the best. And I was so shattered that I couldn't give that to him," Georgia said.
Georgia's ex-husband doesn't know where she or her now three-year-old son lives, news.com.au reported.
Although she had cut her ex-husband out of her and her son's life, it was hard to escape the crimes he had committed.
She said she was "scared" of having to address what her ex-husband did with her son when he grows up.
"What happens if he does eventually want to meet him and how do I navigate that? And these are all probably going to be hurdles that we have to overcome as a family," Georgia told The Project.
Where to find help and support:
- Shine (domestic violence) - 0508 744 633
- Women's Refuge - 0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE)
- Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737
- What's Up - 0800 WHATS UP (0800 942 8787)
- Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
- Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
- Samaritans - 0800 726 666
- Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
- Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
- Shakti Community Council - 0800 742 584.
