Caravan ‘dependant’ Timothy John Lane refused bail accused of grooming foreign woman to sexually exploit her child before flying to Philippines
Timothy John Lane, man facing ‘extremely serious’ child abuse charges, arrested at Sydney Airport on April 4
A man accused of preparing a woman abroad to sexually exploit her children has been refused bail.
Timothy John Lane, 51, faced Sydney’s Downing Center Local Court on Tuesday for using a carriage service to send obscene material to a person under 16, using a carriage service for child abuse material, grooming and breach of bail.
The reclusive man was arrested at Sydney Airport on April 4 after child abuse material was found on his phone following a trip to Southeast Asia.
Forensic analysis of Lane’s phone revealed that he had conversations with two adult women in the Philippines, revealing his alleged sexual interest in young children.
After his arrest, Lane was bailed to stay in his caravan at a property in Stanhope in rural NSW.
But in May, officers executed a search warrant on the caravan and allegedly found more child abuse material on another mobile phone.
Timothy John Lane (pictured) was arrested at Sydney Airport on April 4 after child abuse material was found on his phone after returning from the Philippines.
Magistrate Claire Farnan told the court that in November 2022, Lane had a ‘lengthy conversation’ with a foreign woman about her 11- or 12-year-old child.
Police allege Lane encouraged the woman to produce child abuse material, news.com.au reported.
Magistrate Farnan told the court, ‘Having read the (police) information, it would appear that Mr Lane, granted bail after being charged with a very serious charge of importing child abuse material, is alleged to have gone out of his way to obtain further access to child abuse material from a device originally intended to breach bail.
Lane’s lawyer, Rajeev Baldeo, asked for his client’s release from the Mid North Coast Correctional Center to live with his elderly mother and her partner at their home in Copacabana on the NSW Central Coast.
Mr Baldeo said Lane had mental health issues which had not been properly looked after while in custody.
A child rescue operation in Manila, Philippines, related to allegations against Australian man Timothy John Lane, is pictured.
He said Lane was at a lower risk of re-offending if he was bailed to live with his mother and her partner, a retired lawyer, than if he lived alone in his caravan.
The lawyer said Lane had no one in her life except her mother, rarely interacted with other people and received little support.
But prosecutor Payal Parshotham opposed bail, saying the pre-arrested violence order (AVO) was taken to protect his mother after Lane threatened her with a knife.
Hearing this, Lane, appearing via audiovisual link from prison, interrupts, saying, ‘It’s not true about a knife, it’s a verbal disagreement’.
Lane was refused bail due to the ‘exceptionally serious’ charges, the fact they were on bail for similar alleged offenses and the AVO was taken out to protect his mother.
After his arrest in April Lane was bailed to stay in his caravan (pictured) at a property in Stanhope in rural NSW.
He will face the Downing Center Local Court on September 6.
Australian Border Force Superintendent Philip Anderson said checking electronic devices at the border was an important part of protecting the community.
‘Our mission is to protect our most valuable national asset – Australia’s borders. This includes protecting people who choose to engage in the worst forms of heinous criminal activity,’ he said.
‘I congratulate the ABF officers on the front line who used their intuition to stop and question this man.’