Decide Phillip Mahony sentenced Finch to 2 years imprisonment, suspending it with a $1000 surety and circumstances in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court docket at the moment.
Mahony accepted there have been “distinctive circumstances” to his offending, which was the results of Finch’s drug habit and never motivated by a sexual curiosity in youngsters.
The 2-year sentence is suspended beneath a recognisance launch order.
He should stay on good behaviour, proceed therapy with a psychologist, and undertake rehab, amongst different circumstances.
The 41-year-old mentioned his solely objective in leaving the messages on FastMeet – a phone service for homosexual males – was to acquire cocaine, telling the courtroom he was launched to the service by drug supplier connections.
His clarification was not challenged by Crown prosecutors and was accepted by Mahony.
“It might solely have been borne out of desperation to acquire medicine to feed his habit,” he mentioned.
Finch made the “twisted” feedback about youngsters, which can’t be printed, as a result of he thought it could draw a response from individuals who had been on medicine or had entry to them, he mentioned.
The messages had been quick however contained “extremely wicked and sexualised” references to youngsters aged from 12 to 16, and posed a hazard of inspiring others to offend, Mahony mentioned throughout sentencing.
After leaving his first message in November 2020, Finch ceased utilizing the service in January 2021, virtually a 12 months earlier than he was arrested.
When police got here knocking in December 2021, Finch admitted to utilizing the service and supplied entry to his gadgets, on which no youngster abuse materials was discovered.
He agreed in courtroom it was a horrible means to purchase medicine and was ashamed of it.
Knowledgeable proof additionally urged a stage of hypomania and famous Finch had suffered concussions throughout his taking part in profession.
His offending was unsophisticated, utilizing his personal cellphone, and never half of a bigger community, Mahony mentioned.
The messages had been additionally not in a position to be perpetually retransmitted like materials on the web.
Outdoors courtroom, Finch’s lawyer Paul McGirr requested privateness to permit Finch to rebuild his life.
“This man doesn’t have any sexual curiosity in youngsters and sadly medicine have performed a serious half in ramblings of what he was saying,” Mr McGirr mentioned.
“That is simply one other instance of the risks of medicine and the way far they will ship somebody down right into a spiral.”
“Brett holds his head up and we transfer on.”
Finch’s drug habit got here rapidly after he first tried cocaine following the tip of his NRL profession in 2013, when he struggled to transition to a much less structured post-football life.
He felt his complete life had revolved round rugby league.
Finch performed three State of Origins for NSW and gained a premiership with the Melbourne Storm in 2009.
His crowning second got here within the 2006 Origin opener when he kicked a match-winning subject objective for the Blues.
Put up-football, Finch suffered psychological well being points and spoke publicly about his battles with substance abuse.