A BIKINI model wept as she pleaded guilty to having sex with a teen boy – and now faces life in prison.
Megan Skye Blancada, 34, had previously been charged with the sexual abuse of a boy under the age of 16 and allegedly had child exploitation pictures found on her phone by cops.
The Aussie mum, 34, who starred briefly in the hit horror film Wolf Creek, now faces an automatic prison term after pleading guilty to the charges at Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Under South Australian law, the offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
An offender cannot have their sentence suspended and they cannot serve their sentence, under home supervision.
Police alleged the offending occurred between July 30, 2021 and November 6, 2023, in Adelaide’s outer north, court documents show.
The boy is understood to attend a prestigious private school.
The court heard how Ms Blancada would contest the child exploitation material charge but was prepared to plead guilty to the charge of sexual abuse.
When asked by Magistrate Brian Nitschke on Thursday how she intended to plea, she became visibly emotional and answered “guilty”, the Advertiser reported.
Outside court, Ms Blancada’s lawyer Andrew Graham read a statement on behalf of the actress.
“Ms Blancada just wants to say she’s extremely sorry for what she has done,” he said.
“There’s a teenage victim in this matter, and she hopes that her pleading guilty this morning helps relieve any anxiety or stress he had about giving evidence (in a trial).
“As there will be sentencing submissions made, it’s not appropriate to comment further.”
Ms Blancada, who is from Salisbury East in northern Adelaide, advertises herself as a fitness model and influencer on her social media profiles.
She also claims to have modelled for Mitsubishi and Bank SA and often posts pictures of her bikini modelling jobs and glamorous lifestyle.
The Aussie had a previous acting role in the 2008 comedy drama Hey, Hey, It’s Esther Blueburger and is the author of a novel called Shadow Hunters: Shadows in the Wall.
Ms Blancada claims she “likes to keep her private life to herself while maintaining a low profile,” according to her online profile.
After having her phone seized following her arrest in November, she was charged with knowingly possessing child exploitation material.
Parents of a private school demanded last month that Ms Blancada be kept away from other children, when dropping her son who attends the school.
The parents claimed the school was ignoring their concerns over the model, after they were made aware she had previously been facing the charges, the Daily Mail reports.
Mr Graham said Ms Blancada never breached bail and had not committed another offence.
He intended to argue that his client should be given a good behaviour bond as an alternative punishment for the crime.
Negotiations between the defence and prosecution are continuing and Ms Blancada has had her case adjourned until May 1 for answer charges.
Ms Blancada will return to court to answer the charges against her in May.
