A German "computer nerd" who had video sex with a 14-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl has walked free from court despite pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
Philipp Keil, 25, flew from Bavaria in September 2013 to see a Melbourne girl he met on the internet.
She originally told him she was 19 but later revealed she was 14.
Despite knowing that, Keil had video sex with the girl via Skype five times in May and July 2013.
Keil pleaded guilty to possessing and procuring child porn, and using a carriage service to engage in sexual activity with a person under 16.
Victorian County Court Judge Mark Taft said that every other time he had sentenced someone for similar charges they had gone to jail.
"Your case is quite unlike any that I have previously considered," he said on Wednesday.
Judge Taft said Keil had not shown the predatory behaviour of other sex offenders, as he had not tried to conceal his identity.
Judge Taft sentenced Keil to 12 months in prison, wholly suspended for three years, and fined him $2000.
Keil flew to Melbourne to meet the girl in September 2013 and was arrested as he was leaving to fly back to Germany.
There was no evidence he asked the girl for sex while in Australia.
Judge Taft said Keil had genuine feelings for the girl, based on months of text conversations where he expressed love and concern for her.
The girl falsely told Keil she had a brain tumour that needed an operation, as well as creating "Ruby", a friend she introduced Keil to online.
The pair planned their lives via text conversation, talking about houses they would buy and the names of their future children.
Keil introduced the girl to his mother and sister on Skype, although both believed she was 19 as she purported to be on Facebook.
Forensic psychologist Jeffrey Cummins said "computer nerd" Keil was not a pedophile, but he did have the emotional maturity of a teenager.
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