David Volmer to face Perth District Court on pedophile ring charges

By Kate Campbell
Australian
August 28, 2015

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/david-volmer-to-face-perth-district-court-on-pedophile-ring-charges/story-e6frg6n6-1227501884172

Dawid Volmer appearing in Perth Magistrates Court on 12 charges relating to the pedophile ring of eight men accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. Photo by Justin Benson-Cooper

Dawid Volmer, left, leaves the District Court with lawyer Nick Scerri. Photo by Justin Benson-Cooper

EVANGELICAL Christian pastor David Volmer, charged as part of a shocking pedophile ring involving a 13-year-old girl, will learn his fate in November when he is sentenced.

Volmer, 41, briefly appeared in the Perth District Court on Friday to answer 12 charges, but refused to say anything as he left.

Apart from his lawyer Nick Scerri, the married father-of-two appeared at court alone.

A sentencing date was set for November 5.

Volmer faces a long jail stint with the maximum penalties for his crimes ranging from seven years to 20 years behind bars.

Court-ordered and private defence reports are being prepared ahead of his sentencing.

Volmer has previously admitted sexually abusing the 13-year-old girl at the centre of shocking pedophile ring allegations involving eight men, including her own father.

He faces charges of indecent dealing with a child, sexual penetration of a child and stupefying with intent to commit an indictable offence.

The evangelical pastor, from the northern Perth suburb of Banksia Grove pleaded guilty to all his charges in July.

Volmer set up a branch of the South African Acts Christian Church in Carramar. He was also the head of the WA Prison Fellowship Program — a religious outreach scheme for inmates — but resigned after the allegations surfaced.

Eight men have been charged with more than 500 offences as part of Operation Ripstop.

Police allege the girl’s father, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, facilitated the pedophile ring and arranged for her to meet the seven other men at various locations where the offences were committed.

The girl was allegedly abused over a two-year period between the ages of 11 and 13.

Police say detectives found 200,000 child porn videos and four million images on devices belonging to just one of the men.

The other men charged are: Ryan Trevor Clegg, 42, of Attadale, Nicholas Adam Beer, 35, from Wanneroo, Alfred John Impicciatore, 45, from Wembley, Mark Wesley Liggins, 47, of Coodanup, Troy Phillip Milbourne, 41, from South Bunbury and Benjamin Simon Clarke, 47, of Bedfordale.