Naracoorte man jailed for 10 years for sexually abusing his ex-partner’s daughter

A “talented” sportsman forced his partner’s daughter to keep his sickening assaults a secret for more than a year and kept abusing her while her mum was at work or asleep.

A 28-year-old man forced a young girl who viewed him as a “father figure” to keep his sickening assaults a secret for over a year.

The man, who cannot be identified to protect his victim, was jailed for 10 years in the Adelaide District Court after denying responsibility for his vile actions.

The court heard the victim was the daughter of the man’s partner, who was aged between seven and nine during the offending.

The court heard the man sexually assaulted the victim more than 20 times while her mother was out of the house, working or asleep.

“She told you to stop but you wouldn’t. She asked you to do something else and you would say ‘No, that you must do this’,” Judge Geraldine Davison said during sentencing.

“You told the complainant not to tell her mother and she became fearful that you would hurt or kill her if you did so.

“She kept your secret for over a year.”

The offending came to light when the victim told her cousin.

“The complainant in her victim impact statement says that your offending has made her feel mad, scared and emotional,” Judge Davison said.

“After it she found it hard to trust people and she has bad dreams about you.”

A victim impact statement was read to the court last month by the victim’s mother, saying he took her daughter’s “childhood, safety and trust”.

“The consequences of (the man’s) actions haunt me every single day,” she said.

“She loved him, she looked up to him and she thought of him as a father figure when he manipulated her for his own benefit.

“Although I do not hate him, I will never forgive him for what he did, especially to my little girl who just wanted to be loved.”

The Naracoorte man was found guilty at trial of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

A Naracoorte man was jailed for maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child. Picture: Facebook

The offending occurred for over a year at various locations, including Naracoorte and Murray Bridge.

The court heard the man was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia during his schooling years.

He formed a relationship with the victim’s mother who he met through friends and they had two children together.

“You have been employed throughout your adult life and I was told that you are a talented rugby player,” Judge Davison said.

The court heard the man will face deportation once released from jail.

“This offending involved a serious breach of trust in the relationship between you and the complainant, as well as your relationship with the complainant’s mother,” Judge Davison said.

“You took advantage of the opportunity to offend against the complainant in circumstances where her mother trusted and relied upon you to assist in caring for the child.”

Judge Davison sentenced the man to 10 years jail, with a non-parole period of five years.

The sentence was backdated to February 3, 2022.