SERIAL conman Brenton Robert Jarrett’s latest scam involves targeting young models aged from 17 to 25 with promises of weather presenter roles with the Nine Television network.
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The details of the Howlong man’s con were revealed in Albury Local Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to comply with reporting obligations.
Jarrett, who has previously claimed to be Johnny Depp’s brother, US actor Skeet Ulrich and the grandson of legendary Hollywood film director Alfred Hitchcock, was waiting to be sentenced over deception charges involving iPhones when he pulled the latest ruse.
He attended the Albury police station on May 10 to advise he had a new mobile phone number and email address at DM Productions.
Jarrett said it was his new venture, but indicated it was not a registered company.
Four days later a representative from the modelling industry contacted Albury detectives with concerns about a man named Robbie Caine, from DM Productions.
Initially its website displayed work from photographers in the US, but was subsequently shutdown.
Detectives were told “Caine” had contacted a number of models’ Facebook and claimed he was a part-owner of the Nine Network.
He tried to organise meetings with the models on the promise of weather presenter positions.
The industry representative believed “Caine” was really Brenton Jarrett and told him so in a conversation.
“Caine” then claimed Jarrett was his twin brother, who had committed suicide as a result of media attention.
Jarrett, 42, was interviewed at the police station on Friday and admitted the latest offence.
Solicitor Andrea MacDonald said Jarrett suffers from bipolar disorder and she sought an adjournment for a report on him.
Magistrate Tony Murray ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case to July 22.
“There is a fairly large degree of planning in regard to these matters,” he said.
Mr Murray was told in police facts that Jarrett met a girl, 14, on a Sydney-bound train on January 20 in 2012.
He said he owned a modelling agency and told her she had the looks to be a model.
Jarrett and the teenager exchanged text messages between January 25 and February.
He claimed to be Josh Kells from Vexus Modelling and police say the information exchanged amounted to grooming a child under 16 years old.
Jarrett was subsequently charged in Victoria with offences relating to the girl and was registered in NSW on the Child Protection Register.
He admitted to police last week of being aware of his obligations to notify police of any change of personal details.
He pleaded guilty in March to nine counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception and one count of failing to comply with reporting obligations.
Early last month the case was adjourned for Jarrett to be assessed by a justice health nurse at Wagga before being sentenced.
