Matt Goyder appeared on Farmer Wants A Wife in 2016. Video / Nine Network
A former reality television star from the hit show Farmer Wants A Wife has been jailed for possessing and sharing "vile" child sex abuse images and videos, including some involving babies.
Matthew Eric Goyder, who appeared on the show in 2016, was arrested last year after chatting to an undercoverpolice officer and sending two videos of young girls being sexually abused.
Goyder, a pilot, had the username of PilbaraBoy90 and believed he was chatting to a 37-year-old woman, the West Australian District Court heard on Friday.
During a search, police seized a hard drive and laptop containing more than 4000 images and videos of children being abused.
Judge Karen Shepherd said the material overall was of "the utmost depravity and which depicts serious sexual abuse of children".
Matt Goyder was sentenced to two years in prison. Photo / NCA
"The imagery and the material generally is of a very graphic and very disturbing nature," Judge Shepherd said.
"It's, simply put, vile. It demonstrates, in my view, a high level of perversion and debauchery. It's degrading."
In his letter to the court, Goyder said he took full responsibility for his actions and that he was "totally appalled and deeply ashamed" for what he had done.
"You tell me in your letter that in 2015, you were fresh out of a four-month [drug] rehab stint in Thailand and in search for something to fill the void in your life, and that's when you entered the TV reality show, genuinely seeking love and a relationship," the judge said.
"But the result was it shattered your self-confidence and you started taking more drugs until you spiralled out of control."
In his letter to the court, Goyder said he took full responsibility for his actions. Photo / NCA
The court heard Goyder also had mental health issues and had suffered a hypoxic brain injury in 2019.
Judge Shepherd noted Goyder had taken steps to rehabilitate himself and had "already been punished to a point" by the media attention on the case.
But she said it was not a victimless crime.
"I have no doubt that there were multiple victims in the making of this material," Judge Shepherd said.
Goyder, who pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child exploitation material, was sentenced to two years in prison.
He must serve at least half the term before he can be eligible for parole.
