UPDATED: AUGUST 2016
Holliday has won an appeal against convictions for an alleged plot to kidnap witnesses due to give evidence in his trial. The ACT Court of Appeal overturned the convictions. He remains behind bars for the original abuse offences.
UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2014
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-23/canberra-paedophile-plotted-to-kidnap-witnesses/5763762
Convicted paedophile found guilty of plot to kidnap child sexual abuse case witnesses
By Elizabeth Byrne
Wed 24 Sep 2014, 1:05pm
A convicted Canberra paedophile has been found guilty of incitement to kidnap two witnesses in his child sexual abuse trial.
Aaron James Holliday, 28, has been serving an eight-year jail sentence after being found guilty of pretending to run a police operation in Canberra that was designed to catch paedophiles.
He befriended boys under the age of 16 and convinced them to recreate real-life child sex abuse scenarios with him as part of their “training”.
In 2010 he was accused of plotting to kidnap and murder two witnesses from his trial.
Today an ACT Supreme Court jury found Holliday guilty of plotting the kidnapping and trying to pervert the course of justice, but not guilty of incitement to murder them.
Holliday had previously told the court a document outlining the plan was false.
A key part of the crown case against Holliday was an eight-page typed letter detailing how the witnesses should be kidnapped, made to retract their statements on tape and then killed.
Prosecutors told the court Holliday had given the letter to another prisoner as instructions in a plan to recruit someone on the outside to carry out the crime.
That prisoner gave the document to authorities.
Holliday took to the stand last week to defend himself against charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and incitement to kidnap and murder two witnesses.
He told the court the letter was originally hand-written by a fellow prisoner who had kept insisting he could help him with his legal problems.
Holliday said he told the man he was not interested in the proposition and reported him to a prison guard.
But he said the man tried to make him sign the letter and when he refused, the man said he should copy it in his own writing.
Holliday said he later typed the letter on the suggestion of the prison officer that he had reported the matter to.
He said he had given the names of the elder siblings of the victims so that when the police saw the letter, they would realise it was fake.
Holliday told the court the man had repeatedly asked him about his case over a period of months.
He told the court it was draining so he began feeding him incorrect details.
Holliday was also challenged over diary entries which seemed to confirm his purpose for the plan.
But Holliday told the court they were notes he was keeping as part of a plan for a crime novel and not a real diary.
UPDATE: AUGUST 2014
Holliday has been granted a parole hearing on the 8th September. If granted parole he must then apply for bail if he wants to leave prison as he is due to face the ACT Supreme Court on 15th September to answer new charges of perverting the course of justice, and of inciting kidnapping and murder.
UPDATE: JAN 2014
To stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court accused of plotting to kill his victims from jail.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-31/paedophiles-jail-sentence-halved/4856068?section=act
Paedophile’s jail sentence halved
By Ewan Gilbert
Updated Wed 31 Jul 2013, 5:43pm AEST
A Canberra paedophile who convinced his victims they were in training to catch other paedophiles, has
had a major win against his jail sentence.
In 2010 Aaron James Holliday, 27, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars.
But on Wednesday the ACT Court of Appeal overturned that decision and halved his sentence to 8 years.
Holliday will now be eligible for parole as early as 2014.
He was found guilty of pretending to run a police operation in Canberra that was designed to catch paedophiles.
He befriended boys under the age of 16 and convinced them to recreate real-life child sex abuse scenarios with
him as part of their ‘training’.
It all caught up to him in 2009 when police also discovered large quantities of child pornography on his computers.
But Holliday appealed against the 16 year sentence saying it was crushing.
The court agreed, finding that while the crimes were serious it was not appropriate to just give up on rehabilitating Holliday.
But a close relative of one of the victims says Holliday’s earlier release will put the victims in fear for their lives.
“He did threaten violence against a number of the boys, threatened to kill them,” he said.
“It’s a very serious matter for the boys to think that they might have it held over them.
“That when he comes out of jail on parole while they’re still at a young age and really tied to an education institution, they
could be in threat of their lives or even just feel the threat to their lives.”
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/paedophiles-appeal-remains-in-limbo-20130211-2e87q.html
Paedophile’s appeal remains in limbo
February 11, 2013 – 2:46PM
Michael Inman
The sentence of a convicted Canberra paedophile remains in limbo after three appeal judges reserved their decision on Monday.
Both Aaron James Holliday and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions have appealed against Justice Richard Refshauge’s decision to jail the notorious predator for 16 years, with a non-parole period of seven years.
The 26-year-old was locked up for ”sinister” child abuse offences, including creating so-called training documents that purportedly taught the boys how to help police catch paedophiles in a fictitious ”operation paedobait”.
He also pleaded guilty to theft and possessing more than 11,000 images on his computer ranging from ”erotic” images of children to hardcore child pornography and bestiality.
Holliday’s barrister James Lawton argued sentences for the counts of theft and possession of child pornography were “manifestly excessive”.
Mr Lawton argued the full sentence of 16 years and six months imprisonment was “crushing” for a man of Holliday’s age and previously clean record.
He sought to have the total sentence reduced by two years.
But Director of Public Prosecutions Jon White argued the sentence was “manifestly inadequate” and sought to have it extended.
Mr White said the discount applied to the jail term for Holiday’s guilty plea was too high for such a late admission.
Mr White argued Holliday was a risk of reoffending and had bleak chances of rehabilitation.
Chief Justice Terence Higgins, Justice Hilary Penfold and Justice John Dowsett will hand down their decisions at a later date.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/24/3075085.htm
Man jailed for having sex with boys
Updated Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:38am AEDT
A Canberra man who had sex with underage boys after telling them they were training to catch paedophiles, will spend at least the next six years behind bars.
Aaron James Holliday pleaded guilty to committing an act of indecency on a child, two counts of possessing child pornography and eight counts of engaging in sexual intercourse with minors.
The 24-year-old befriended his three child victims before abusing them.
He told two of the boys they were being trained for a program called “pedobait” to help police catch paedophiles.
He took them to Mt Majura for what he told them was a training session and then engaged in sexual acts with them.
When police arrested Holliday they found 11,000 child pornography images on his computer.
In sentencing, Justice Richard Refshauge said Holliday deceived his victims in a sinister way and the abuse had long lasting affects on the children
Justice Refshauge took into account Holliday himself had been abused at boarding school.
He sentenced Holliday to 14 years and six months in jail, with a non-parol period of seven years from April last year.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/11/3063185.htm?site=news
Parents tell of anger over sons’ sexual abuse
By Kathleen Dyett
Updated Thu Nov 11, 2010 8:52am AEDT
A Canberra court has heard a man who sexually abused young boys by running a fake training program, has little understanding of how his actions affected his victims.
Aaron James Holliday, 24, from Braddon has pleaded guilty to seven counts of sexual intercourse with underage boys.
He has also pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and committing an indecent act.
The ACT Supreme Court heard Holliday told his victims he was from a secret police organisation and they were being trained to catch paedophiles.
Family members of the victims spoke of the despair and anger they have felt about the offences committed on their children.
A father of one victim said he felt distressed and powerless about what happened to his son.
He said he hopes the case will empower other boys in such situations to come forward.
While giving evidence, Holliday agreed with the prosecution that he had gone out of his way to befriend 12-year-old boys and pursue child pornography online.
Holliday reports being sexually and physically abused while in high school and says he has sought counselling.
Holliday says if he had been given proper help for that early abuse, he would not have committed the offences.
The matter has been adjourned for sentencing next week.
Child sex accused ‘wanted work as babysitter’
Last Update: Friday, June 1, 2007. 9:47am (AEST)
The ACT Magistrates Court has heard fresh charges have been laid against a man already accused of child sexual offences.
Twenty-one-year-old Aaron James Holliday was arrested earlier this month when police conducted a search of his home in Civic and seized computer hardware allegedly containing child pornography.
In court today police claimed that Holliday also went by the name of Jake or Jacob Thomas online to seek babysitting work.
Police also say they have identified another six to eight potential victims, and allege that Holliday also had Myspace and Hotmail accounts, where he passed himself off as 14-year- old.
Holliday is also facing a charge of committing an indecent act in front of a 12-year-old boy.
A bail application has been adjourned until next week.
Male nanny porn charge
- AAP
- May 10, 2007 12:00AM
A MALE nanny allegedly caught with thousands of pornographic images of children also performed an act of indecency in front of a 12-year-old boy, a Canberra court heard today.
Aaron James Holliday, 21, was arrested at his Civic apartment yesterday after police allegedly found more than 50,000 images of child pornography and video files stored on his computers.
He faced the ACT Magistrates Court today on two charges of possessing child pornography and committing an act of indecency in the presence of a child.
The court was told police conducted the search of Holliday’s apartment as part of an investigation into claims the self-employed child care worker committed an act of indecency in front of a 12-year-old boy in July 2006.
Wearing jeans and a dark shirt, the slight young man did not say a word during his court appearance.
Holliday was not required to enter a plea and made no application for bail.
Magistrate Beth Campbell remanded Holliday in custody until May 24.
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