The abuse occurred in the mid-2000s and early 2010s. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
CONTENT WARNING: This story refers to child sexual abuse.
A now-elderly man who has shown no remorse for his abuse of multiple girls has heard he is likely to die in prison.
On Friday (22 May), ACT Supreme Court Justice Belinda Baker handed an 84-year-old man more than a decade of prison time over abuse in the mid-2000s and early 2010s.
“The offending was entirely motivated by the offender’s sexual gratification,” she said.
Region has chosen not to name the man to avoid identifying his victims.
He met one of the victims while at a Queanbeyan playground with his daughter.
The two girls became friends, which led the victim to stay at his home.
“The sleepovers became almost weekly occurrences and [the victim] would sleep with the offender’s daughter in bunk beds,” she said.
During the sleepovers, the man would repeatedly indecently touch the victim’s body and also digitally and orally rape her, despite the victim telling him to stop and pushing him away.
He also told her, “Don’t tell your mum or you won’t be able to come over”.
The victim told her mother that she didn’t want to see the man’s daughter anymore, without disclosing the abuse.
The man would abuse another victim when she was aged between 14 and 15 years old.
He would take her shopping and buy her things, including, in one instance, a $300 jacket.
Justice Baker said he would “often make inappropriate comments” and indecently touch the girl while she was in his car.
The man knew the third girl through a family connection when she was between 10 and 12 years old.
He would also indecently touch her while at her home during the “tickle game”.
This ‘game’ happened on “countless” occasions, leaving the victim “unable to recall” specific instances, Justice Baker said.
During a sentencing hearing earlier this year, one of the victims told the court she had been a child with “no control, no understanding and no voice”.
Another victim said the impacts “extend beyond me and into the next generation”.
Justice Baker said a family member had also described the “profound and lasting harm” from the man’s offending, where he “destroyed a family”.
She said the man’s offending had left the victims with “immeasurable psychological harm” and ongoing impacts to their lives.
“As the victim impact statements eloquently describe, the offending has caused lifelong harm. The sentences to be imposed must recognise this lifelong harm.”
Justice Baker said the man showed no remorse for his actions.
In a pre-sentencing report, the man described his actions as “basic stupidity” and “a brain fart”.
He has pleaded guilty to persistent sexual abuse of a child and two counts of committing an act of indecency on a child under 16.
“The offender is elderly and frail. His experience of custody will be difficult,” she said.
“It is likely that he will spend the remainder of his life in custody.”
She sentenced him to a total sentence of 10 years and six months. His six-year non-parole period will finish in April 2032.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on (02) 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT on (02) 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call triple zero.
If you have been affected by sexual violence, or someone you know has, you can report it by attending a police station or phoning 131 444.
Original Article published by Claire Sams on Region Canberra.
