Former South East sporting coach allegedly made sexual assault victim ‘pinky promise’ not to tell

An ex-school coach used code words during the years-long abuse of a young girl, a court has heard – with some alleged attacks occurring while she was sick.

A Mount Gambier man who was a volunteer soccer coach at a South East primary school is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his players.

The man was in an on-and-off relationship with the alleged victim’s mother, and allegedly began an illicit sexual relationship with the girl when she was eight, a court has heard.

The man has not been identified to protect the identity of his alleged victim.

A former South East school former sport coach is currently facing trial for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his players for just under a decade. Picture: Arj Ganesan

The man, 53, lives with a number of serious health conditions and struggled with his pain management during the prosecution’s opening address in the Mount Gambier District Court on Thursday.

The defendant allegedly told the girl he knew how he could convince the girl’s mother to get another dog but he would first “play down there”, a court has heard.

Prosecutor Gary Phillips told the court the accused made his alleged victim “pinky promise” not to tell anyone after the alleged assault.

“The (girl) was alone with accused at his house,” Mr Phillips said.

“In the lounge room the accused asked (the girl) to remove her top and pants and her underwear.

“He was standing up looking at (her).”

The court then heard the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.

Mr Phillips told the court the alleged victim, who is now in her 20s, brought the allegations forward after an incident re-triggered the alleged trauma from her past.

“In 2019 she was at a male friend’s house when he tried to kiss her — she panicked — she remembered the events that occurred (when she was a child),” Mr Phillips said.

According to court documents, the alleged offending occurred between May 2006 and May 2015

The man has been charged with one count of maintain an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

Mr Phillips said the alleged victim had been sexually abused several times in the nine years.

The abuse allegedly happened frequently in 2010 when the victim was sick with glandular fever and unable to go to school.

Mr Phillips said the man used code words in front of the girl’s mother, allegedly telling the girl to “come and show me what level you’re up to”.

During a 2011 fishing trip, the girl allegedly told the man she wanted the alleged abuse to stop, a court has heard.

“The response from the accused was ‘it was just a bit of fun — It’s not hurting anyone’,” Mr Phillips said.

The jury trial continues.