true crime

Melbourne rugby player sentenced to 12 years in jail for attempting to rape six-year-old boy.

A Melbourne rugby player who was caught attempting to rape a six-year-old boy in the US has been sentenced to 12 years jail time.

Micheal Quinn, 33, was caught in a US hotel room attempting to pay $US260 ($342) to have sex with the boy in May of this year in Los Angeles.

US District Court Judge John Walter told the court that Quinn’s intention to attend what he believed was a paedophile party was “absolutely disgusting.”

The Age reports Quinn spent the hearing with tears in his eyes and his ankles shackled after waiting five months to learn his fate.

“If you give me a second chance I won’t let you down,” Quinn told the judge, before he was offered little leniency and sentenced to 12 years’ jail as per the prosecution’s request.

“It upsets me so much that I could be capable of harming a child,” he added.

His lawyer, Lisa Shinar LaBarre, asked the Judge for 10 years and argued Quinn’s severe addiction to methamphetamine had altered his thinking, created psychotic thoughts and led to his desire to attend the party, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The Melbourne rugby player and geneticist was caught earlier this year after undercover special agent Aaron McLellan posed as a pimp.

McLellan began the sting after spotting Quinn post on a social media site used by paedophiles.

He wrote, “Aussie perv, heading to the US late May/June interested to meet others while I’m there. LA, Nashville, NYC.”

Chilling text messaged between the duo outlined Quinn’s desire to molest and rape young boys while on a rugby trip to the US.

When asked what he was interested in, Quinn replied, “I’d like to meet up with a dad who shares his young ones.”

Quinn also told McLellan, who used three fake pedophile personas to catch Quinn, “I’m awake and very keen for some hot action.”

Quinn’s parents Anna and John flew from Australia to support him for the sentencing.