A child groomer arrested after a trip to Vietnam has pleaded guilty despite maintaining his sexual requests were a joke that he had no intention of fulfilling.
Doncaster man John Francis Winter, 74, on Tuesday appeared in the County Court of Victoria.
He pleaded guilty to a single charge of grooming a person to make it easier to engage in sexual activity with a child outside Australia.
Winter was arrested last year following an investigation by Australian Border Force when he arrived at Melbourne International Airport from Vietnam.
His baggage and electronic devices were examined, with ABF officers locating messages between the man and a facilitator outside Australia, about hiring young children for sexual activity.
His home was also searched.
Prosecutor Christina Hill told the court, in subsequent police interviews, Winter agreed he had sent messages to a woman called 'Eva', who he had met on Cupid Vietnam, discussing sex with children under the age of 18.
But he claimed he was "just joking" and "was just seeing how far it would go".
In one exchange he introduced the topic of children and was specific that the child should be 12 years old, Ms Hill told the court.
She said Winter also discussed with 'Eva' whether parents of the children would be a barrier or whether they would assist and offered a cover story that he "liked to play".
"He also suggested two locations where the sexual activity could take place, and that is a hotel or the bush," Ms Hill said.
"It is grooming conduct."
Judge Andrew Tinney raised concerns that a psychologist report prepared for the court clearly stated that Winter denied he had done anything wrong as recently as April 2023, despite his guilty plea.
The report, prepared by Jeffrey Cummins, stated that Winter had maintained his innocence, but due to legal advice that a trial would be costly - had pleaded guilty.
"Based on that, there is no contrition in his plea," Judge Tinney said.
Winter's lawyer Dermot Connors conceded that Winter didn't initially have a proper appreciation as to the seriousness of his offences.
"But there has been growing awareness," Mr Connors told the court.
The maximum penalty for the offence is 15 years' imprisonment.
Mr Connors argued his client should not receive a custodial sentence, based on exceptional circumstances including Winter's age and his unusual upbringing as well as his early guilty plea.
Ms Hill said the court was in its scope to hand down a term of imprisonment.
JudgeTinney extended Winter's bail and adjourned the matter for sentencing on Thursday.
