Hayden Wade Richman guilty of having sex with 15-year-old girl who claimed she was 17

A Mawson Lakes man has pleaded guilty to sex with a 15-year-old girl in state care – telling police she’d claimed she was 17.

A northern suburbs man has faced court after pleading guilty to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl he says he believed to be 17 – but was in fact 15.

On Tuesday, Hayden Wade Richman, from Mawson Lakes, appeared before Judge Ian Press in the District Court on charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with person under 17 years.

The girl, now 16, was in state care at the time of the offence in February 2023.

The court heard police bodycam footage has recorded Richman, 19 at the time, saying the sex was consensual but “he was concerned” and “questions whether he should have checked her identification”.

Hayden Wade Richman has pleaded guilty to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 17. Picture: Facebook

Counsel for Richman said there was a dispute over the defendant’s understanding and belief of the victim’s age, and was originally told she was 17 or 18.

“There is also confusion from the witness, who says that (the victim) said she was 17, but on bodyworn footage said she was 18,” defence counsel said.

The prosecution said Richman’s belief about the victim’s age was disputed.

In a sworn affidavit to the court, a witness and friend of Richman remarked the victim “looked like she was 15” and prosecutor Kelly Smith said the comment should have raised doubt in the defendant’s mind.

“Given the victim’s appearance and the observations made by the accused’s friend as to the victim’s age, prosecution’s position is that this should have raised alarm bells in the accused and caused him to make further inquiries of her or about her before engaging in sexual activity,” Ms Smith said.

Richman is expected to give evidence to aid his defence.

The court heard the victim was allegedly discovered by police in a state of “distress” and found “huddled in the corner crying” by officers, but she remained uncooperative with prosecutors.

Richman is expected to give evidence as to his belief of the victim’s age in court on a later date. Picture: Facebook

The court also heard the victim was known by the authorities and “she has admitted to telling males that she associates with that she is 17 or 18 years of age”.

“There is phone or social media evidence where the victim has informed males that she’s communicating with that she is either 17 or 18 years of age,” Ms Smith said.

“It is evident in many of these other matters that the victim fabricates her age in order to secure sometimes drugs, sometimes alcohol or cigarettes, sometimes a combination of all three from these males that she’s associated with, and often this occurs in exchange for sexual activity.”

Judge Press noted the issue of the victim’s believed age would “have some bearing on his (Richman’s) moral culpability”.

“If I sentence (Richman) on the basis of what he is saying, it will be at the very lowest end of the range of objective seriousness,” his honour said,

Richman was released on continuing bail and is set to return to court again in February.