Fullarton man jailed for 14 years for horrific sexual abuse of daughter

A vile man who sexually abused his daughter from the age of two plotted to knock out a woman in a carpark and steal her baby to continue his sick fantasies. Warning: Graphic

An “utterly wicked” father who told an undercover officer he didn’t regret sexually abusing his daughter had further sinister plans.

The 50-year-old man, whose name is suppressed, plotted to knock out a woman in a carpark and steal her baby so he could continue his vile fantasies.

The Adelaide District Court heard the victim was the man’s biological daughter and the “depraved” offending started when she was just two years old.

The court heard an undercover police officer was allocated in April 2020 to investigate the man’s conduct.

The undercover officer posed as a 37-year-old woman and posted an advertisement insinuating an interest in taboo sexual activity, which the man replied to.

During sentencing, Judge Anthony Allen said words couldn’t adequately describe the content of the man’s messages.

“However, sick, depraved and utterly wicked are a reasonable starting point,” he said. “That a human being can speak of abusing children in such a way beggars belief.

“The fact that the majority of your communications relate to your own toddler-aged child makes it even worse, if that were possible.”

The court heard the man recounted to the officer the numerous vile sexual acts he committed against his daughter.

“You conversed with the undercover operative about the prospect of you and the operative having a child together in order that you could abuse that child.” Judge Allen said.

The court heard the man was sentenced in 2017 for other sexual offences against his daughter and expressed remorse for his actions.

The Fullarton man who plotted to steal a baby was jailed for 14 years. Photo: File

“Nothing could be further from the truth in terms of what you stated to the undercover operative. You said ‘I’m not proud of what I did but I don’t regret it either’,” Judge Allen said.

“You signed off that message ‘Goodnight my pedo Queen’.”

The man also sent the undercover police the following message: “We need a baby to play with. Know anyone that has a baby? That’s tricky offering a babysitting service. Stealing a baby? Carpark, it’s extreme but we’re considering it. Find a woman alone in a carpark, knock her out and take the baby”.

“I take your communications to mean that you were discussing the abduction of a child to sexually abuse the child,” Judge Allen said.

When police arrested the man on May 26, 2020, they found 66 child exploitation files on his devices.

The Fullarton man pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child and multiple counts of producing and disseminating child exploitation material.

The court heard the man’s offending had a long-lasting devastating impact on his victims.

“Your former wife and mother of your victim has described being utterly betrayed and has been left with complex post-traumatic stress disorder,” Judge Allen said.

“Your daughter told me, through her victim impact statement, that if she were the judge she would send you to jail, send you to a doctor to get help and get you to stay away from kids.”

Judge Allen said the crimes provided a window into the “very disturbed mind of a prolific child sex offender”.

He sentenced the man to 14 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 11 years and two months.

“Your offending involved the most egregious breach of trust imaginable, not just to your daughter, but also to her mother,” Judge Allen said.

“Your behaviour was disgraceful to the extreme.”

The sentence was backdated to May 26, 2020.