Kapunda father Jason Scott Hodgson jailed for sexual abuse of 13-year-old girl for two years

A predator who groomed a young teenage girl before secretly sexually abusing her for years has learnt his fate – with the victim saying she was terrified to tell him no.

A predator who groomed a young teenage girl before sexually abusing her in a secret relationship has learnt his fate in court.

Jason Scott Hodgson, 49, was jailed for more than ten years for the manipulative abuse over a two-year period between 2007 and 2009.

During sentencing on Monday, the District Court heard the victim was aged between 13 and 15 at the time of the offending, while Hodgson was aged 32-34.

The court heard Hodgson, who was already in a relationship at the time, struck up a friendship with the victim after meeting her in the community.
He began texting her daily, before inviting her over to his house and having sexual intercourse with her, in which she suffered considerable pain.

Jason Hodgson pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child. Photo: Facebook

Jason Hodgson was jailed for over ten years for the child sex abuse. Photo: Facebook

“The following day you purchased a prepaid mobile phone to contact her so that your girlfriend would not know that you were having contact,” Judge Geraldine Davison said.

“You told her to save your number under a false name.”

The court heard Hodgson, who had weekly intercourse with the victim, encouraged her to go on the contraceptive pill so he didn’t have to use condoms.

The Kapunda father pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

Earlier this month, the state government said it would move to change the wording of that charge to “sexual abuse of a child” and remove the word “relationship”.

In her victim impact statement, the victim said it took her many years to build up the courage to disclose Hodgson’s offending and now feels she may be able to move on.

“She feels an immense shame and disgust in relation to her experiences with you,” Judge Davison said.

“She recalls feeling terrified of complying with your requests and even more terrified of telling you no.”

The court heard Hodgson was a “severe alcoholic” at the time of the offending, which affected his moral judgment.

Judge Davison said Hodgson was at low risk of reoffending, due to his significant remorse and not suffering from pedophilic disorder.

The court heard Hodgson, who worked as a stock feed manufacturer, ceased drinking in 2014 and was now a very different man to the one at the time of the offending.
Judge Davison sentenced Hodgson to ten years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of five years.

“You took advantage of her at a time that she was very young and very vulnerable,” she said.

“You took the complainant’s virginity and engaged in weekly instances of sexual intercourse that involved secrecy and manipulation.”

The sentence was backdated to October 21.