56-year-old teacher jailed for sexually abusing stepdaughter

A ‘well respected’ teacher being locked up for sexually abusing his stepdaughter and showing her pornography will lose his family their property, a court heard.

A “well respected” school teacher being locked up for child sex crimes will lose his family property, a court heard.

The 56-year-old man, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of his victim, was jailed after his vile offending left his stepdaughter with nightmares.

During sentencing, the District Court heard the man sexually abused his stepdaughter when she was between eight and 15 years of age.

The victim gave evidence at trial that the sexual abuse commenced in 2012 while they were having a bath together.

The victim said the man introduced her to pornography and they would watch it while performing oral sex on each other, when her mother was out or asleep.

A 56-year-old teacher was jailed for sexually abusing his stepdaughter. Photo: File

“She said the offending occurred almost every week, multiple times a week and continued until early 2019,” Judge Joana Fuller said.

The man gave evidence at trial that he worked as a relief teacher throughout much of the offending and sometimes wouldn’t return home until 7pm, when his wife was already home.

Judge Fuller said after reviewing the evidence given at trial, she found the victim’s evidence implausible and unconvincing.

“Your wife’s evidence, which I found credible and reliable, established that the vast majority of the alleged unlawful sexual acts simply could not have occurred because you were not home alone with (the victim) at the relevant time,” she said.

Judge Fuller said she was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the man committed the unlawful sexual acts and she would sentence him on the basis he watched pornography with the victim.

The court heard the victim remained traumatised by the man’s offending.

“She has trouble trusting people and has nightmares that make her feel as if she is back in the house with you,” Judge Fuller said.

“She said she is demotivated to do anything much in life and that she grew up in a false reality.

“(The victim) ended her impact statement with these words … you were aware of what you were doing and I wasn’t, I was a child. You think you can control and win at everything, but you can’t.”

The man was found guilty by a jury of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child.

The court heard the man was “highly regarded” in the community and well respected as a schoolteacher.

The court heard the property had been in the man’s family since the 1960s.

“Your mother said without you she will lose the farm,” Judge Fuller said.

“She said that losing you and the farm will be unbearable and it would kill her.”

Judge Fuller sentenced the man to one year and eight months jail, with a non-parole period of 10 months.

“Your offending was a gross breach of trust,” she said.

“It was your duty to protect and nurture your stepdaughter, and not expose her to sexualised images and videos of adults having sex.”