Overview
- Downing Centre Local Court convicted William Roberto Gulson, 28, after a contested hearing over a Grindr exchange in August last year.
- Prosecutors detailed explicit chats, exchanged photos and audio, and plans to meet, including an offer to pick the youth up if he snuck out.
- The court heard the Grindr account was a decoy created by a 16-year-old, who told Gulson he was a year nine student aged 15 despite a public profile age of 26.
- Magistrate Hugh Donnelly rejected Gulson’s claim he thought he was speaking with an adult, citing overwhelming evidence and calling his account implausible.
- Evidence included an internet search for “gay child porn” nine days before his arrest; Gulson remains on bail, and Knox Grammar says he was terminated over conduct outside school hours and premises.