A former private schoolboy has been accused of creating his own child abuse material and sharing it on Telegram, along with a stash of bestiality, animal torture and suicide content.
Ethan Ungerboeck, 20, was arrested at his parents' $6million mansion in Maroubra in Sydney's south in December following an Australian Federal Police investigation into online groups which trade images of children engaging in sexual acts and self-harm.
The Scots College alumnus, whose parents paid up to $46,000-a-year for his private education, was initially charged with one count of possessing child abuse material, but the Daily Mail can reveal has since been hit with 16 additional charges.
The fresh charges largely relate to the production, distribution and possession of child abuse material.
On Tuesday, Ungerboeck smiled as he entered Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court with his lawyer following his charge certification hearing.
He was required to stand while Magistrate Susan Horan told him that he would be required to enter a plea at the next mention, to which he calmly responded: 'Thank you, your honour'.
Magistrate Horan approved the police prosecutor's request to apply his bail conditions to all 17 charges.
Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail showed Ungerboeck allegedly started storing bestiality and animal torture content on his personal devices from his 18th birthday in May 2023, and allegedly accessed it with a phone.
Ungerboeck was accused of possessing and controlling child abuse material from about June 2024, and allegedly started producing his own material from about September that year.
A month later, in October 2024, he allegedly sent a video to a user on encrypted messaging app Telegram which showed a person taking their own life by discharging a firearm into their own head.
Court documents also alleged that he shared child abuse material with other Telegram with users called 'og asa', 'ArchivistofArchives', 'oy bootes' and a number of now-deleted accounts.
By September 2024, he was allegedly using the messaging service to share content described in court documents as 'animal crush' material.
The child abuse material, bestiality, and animal crush content was allegedly stored on his Deepcool computer tower and a HP laptop, and accessed by phone.
Conditional bail will continue, banning him from leaving his parents' mansion without one of them as an escort.
He is required to present at the front door when police arrive for a curfew check, or a drug and alcohol swab, up to once a day, seven days a week.
He is also not allowed to drink alcohol, taking drugs, or use gaming platforms. Police can enter his family home and check his devices to ensure he complies with this condition.
He is also banned from being in the company of anyone under 18 without adult supervision.
His full list of charges include one count of possess/control child abuse material using a carriage service; three counts of possess child abuse material using carriage service; three counts of produce child abuse material with intent to transmit using a carriage service.
He was also charged with four counts of use carriage service for child abuse material; one count of use carriage service to cause offence; two counts of possess bestiality material; three counts of possess animal crush material.
Ungerboeck was arrested following an AFP investigation into members of an online decentralised crime network who target children through eating disorder forums and gaming platforms like Roblox.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett described the groups as 'crimefluencers' in a speech at the National Press Club last month.
She said alleged victims are often forced to share sexual images of themselves, self-harm, commit violent acts against their siblings, as well as kill their pets, by members of these online gangs.
'To be accepted into these networks, the perpetrators often have to pass a test or undertake a task, such as providing videos of the self-harm of others, or other gory content,' she said.
'Members of these groups revel in creating chaos and anarchy and are also involved in various other crimes, including hacking, cyberattacks and terrorism.'
Ungerboeck's matter will return to court on February 3.