A man described as Australia's worst pedophile has been sentenced to life in prison. Ashley Paul Griffith was screamed at by his victims' families after a judge ruled he must spend at least 27 years behind bars.

Brisbane

Ashley Paul Griffith, identified as one of Australia's most notorious pedophiles, has been sentenced to prison for his crimes against children. Griffith confessed to his vile acts during 15 police interviews following his arrest. His offenses involved 69 victims, with the youngest being just two years old. His actions included the distribution of child exploitation material on the dark web, particularly on a platform known as the LoveZone website, which was ultimately taken down by federal police.

Griffith's arrest came after years of continued offending, despite an initial police investigation in 2014. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) were able to identify Griffith by piecing together various clues from images and other sources. Within 24 hours of identifying him, authorities executed a search warrant and took him into custody. As he was led from the courtroom, Griffith encountered fury and condemnation from his victims, who passionately expressed their disdain for his actions.

Already having served over two years in custody, Griffith will be eligible for parole after 27 years, at which point he will be 73 years old. This sentencing brings closure to many of his victims and their families, who have been waiting for justice. The impact of Griffith’s crimes has shaken trust in the system designed to protect children, highlighting the need for vigilance and reform.



Daycare child sex offender jailed for life

We can't show you their faces or tell you their names, but the families of Ashley Paul Griffith's victims want you to hear their words. She's six at the moment, and she has memory of what's happened. But the best thing is that when she's older and when she understands, I'm going to be able to tell her that he got put into prison for the rest of his life. Australia's worst pedophile confessed to his crimes, detailing his offending in 15 police interviews after he was caught. He said, quote, I noticed that the girls were heavy sleepers, and having that desire just made me lose all sense of right or wrong. The urge was stronger than my ability to control myself. During the rape of one victim, LJ, she told him, it's yucky, stop, it's yucky. Get off me, let me go. He laughed at her and mocked her by saying, get away from me, in a high-pitched voice. In all, 69 little victims, the youngest just two years old, were violated by a man so depraved he uploaded six rape videos to the dark web in 2014. He left comments suggestive of him abusing children and advising others on how they could do it. A federal police investigation was launched, the LoveZone website taken down, but Griffith wasn't caught and kept offending for another eight years, until the AFP made a breakthrough. They pieced together the clues from the images, including the bed sheets and other distinguishing features of the rooms. Investigators quickly identified the man and within 24 hours had executed a search warrant and arrested him. There's a distrust in the system, there's a distrust in policies that are supposed to protect our kids. To find out retrospectively, he's looking at you and saying, she's having a great day, but he's just been raping her. As he was led from the courtroom today, Griffith's victims had one final message. They screamed at him, calling him a pedophile and a pig. Griffith has already served 831 days in custody. He'll be eligible to apply for parole in 27 years. He'll be 73 years old. Matt Johnston for 10 News First.

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