Hastings Fredrickson has admitted leading role in Jedi Council sex ring
Hastings Fredrickson has admitted leading role in Jedi Council sex ring ABC

Two women have revealed how their lives were ruined by a 'Jedi Council' of military officers at the heart of a sex scandal which has shamed the Australian military.

The pair spoke of their pain at the sentencing hearing of the Council's ringleader, Hastings Fredrickson, 41.

He distributed explicit images and video of women along with degrading captions to fellow members of the sex ring, following secretly filmed sex sessions.

Among 12 recipients of the images were 10 serving members of the Australian Defence Force, including a lieutenant colonel. A total of 90 members were complicit, ABC reported.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she had suffered from anxiety and depression because of Fredrickson's "calculating and predatory" behaviour.

"I now struggle to function in most aspects of my life. He used me, violating my privacy. I've lost over a year of my life."

She said she was "haunted by the words used to describe me," written by Fredrickson – a former commando.

The Jedi Council sex ring operated for around a decade, it was revealed in court. It was exposed last year during an internal audit by the defence contractor, Thales Australia.

Fredrickson was sacked on the spot when the images he sent via email came to light. At least six serving members of the military were dismissed over their involvement in the Jedi Council.

Fredrickson admitted using a carriage service to cause offence. He told the court: "On paper, it was gallows or black humour. I was not aware of the legality, I guess you could say, of the offences."

His lawyer Jack Pappas said he had been receiving psychological help from three specialists, adding "this man's mental health was a major contributing factor in his offending."

Fredrickson will be sentenced next February.