Dylan James Marshall, 27, of Aitkins Road, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool County Court yesterday to procuring a girl aged under 16 years for sex and sexual penetration of a child.

Between April and December 2012, Marshall used Facebook to get in touch with the victim, who was 14 when he first made contact on April 9.

On April 25 he asked if the girl would have sex with him for a lot of money. She said yes and that she had done it before.

After a long series of messages, Marshall offered the girl $500 for sex in mid-December. She agreed and a meeting was set for December 24.

In the lead-up to the date, Marshall said he was getting nervous because the girl could be a police officer. He asked if what they had organised was illegal and the girl replied yes because she was underage.

The girl then went to Marshall’s home and they had intercourse. He gave her a $500 cheque which she deposited in her bank account but it could not be processed.

Between January 2, 2013, and February 22, the girl demanded to be paid, suggesting she would go to the police.

On February 3 the victim’s sisters went to police and reported the matter. Marshall paid the girl the $500.

Police officers contacted the victim on February 7 and the girl told them she did not want to participate in an investigation.

But in May last year she decided to assist police and Marshall was arrested. He made admissions but said he thought the girl was over 16.

In a victim impact statement, the girl said she had put herself in a very weird situation. 

She said Marshall had pressured her and that he chatted up young girls, endlessly complimenting them, offering to pay them for sex and raising the offers until they said yes, but then would not pay.

The girl said her involvement with Marshall had caused enormous stress in her family, particularly between her and her mother, and she was ashamed of herself.

The victim said Marshall had an obsession with young girls and she called for him to be punished to protect the underage girls he preyed on.

However, after hearing yesterday’s plea she altered her position and said Marshall should not be immediately imprisoned.

Defence counsel Stephen Payne said one of the troubling aspects of the case was the blatant transaction nature of what had happened. 

Mr Payne said Marshall had recently been diagnosed with autism and should be granted a significant discount in sentencing.

Judge Paul Grant said he was having difficulty determining how a discount in sentencing would be applied when Marshall had considered his behaviour was against the law, that he could get into serious trouble and yet he continued.

He said that in the great majority of similar cases defendants were immediately imprisoned for lengthy periods.

Judge Grant will sentence Marshall in Melbourne on May 22 after the prosecution and defence had time to make detailed sentencing submissions.