Thomas Peter Daniel jailed for supplying a controlled drug to a child

A Murray Bridge man has been jailed after he left a child “broken” by sexually abusing and controlling her by supplying her with drugs.

A father of four who sexually abused a child and supplied them with drugs, has left he victim “broken”, a court has heard.

Thomas Peter Daniel, 31, of Murray Bridge, pleaded guilty to the offences of maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child and supplying a controlled drug to a child.

Daniel appeared at Adelaide District Court last month and was sentenced and jailed for his crimes.

Judge Heath Barklay told the court the victim was 13 years of age at when the offending started in 2016 and Daniel, who was 24, had regularly supplied the victim with cannabis.

“The victim said that she accepted the cannabis as she was having difficulties with her mental health … you told her that it would make her feel happier,” Judge Barklay said.

. Thomas Peter Daniel, 31, was jailed for maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child and supplying a controlled drug to a child.

“The victim gradually started smoking cannabis on a daily basis and became reliant on it.”

Judge Barklay said from 2017, the sexual offending would happen often, but differed in frequency from week to week.

“You convinced her that the touching was okay, that it was yours and her little secret, and told her that she knew what would happen if anyone else found out, inferring that she would get in trouble,” Judge Barklay said.

The court heard the offending started during a camping trip and gradually escalated.

“At times, you threatened to discontinue the supply of cannabis … in my view, you did so to maintain a level of control over the victim,” Judge Barklay said.

“You groomed the victim by introducing and supplying her with cannabis, to the extent that she became reliant on it.

“She felt like she owed you for the cannabis and this consequently imparted a fear that she would lose her family and friends had she come forward earlier.”

The victim began to see a therapist who submitted a child abuse report in June 2020 and a police investigation followed.

Judge Barklay sentenced Daniel to nine-and-a-half years imprisonment with a non-parole period of five-and-a-half years.