‘He made me’: Father’s vile act in shopping centre

A 35-year-old father of two has admitted to luring a teenager into a fire escape before raping them, a court has heard.

EXCLUSIVE

GRAPHIC CONTENT

A 35-year-old father-of-two was on parole when he lured a teenager from a Sydney shopping mall into a fire exit to rape them, a court has heard.

Maroubra man Clayton Jerome Deccaford faced the NSW District Court on Friday where he was sentenced to a maximum five years and five months in jail over the offending, with a non-parole period of three years and two months.

The court heard how Deccaford started talking to the victim at Market City Shopping Centre in Sydney’s CBD last year and purposely isolated the teenager from their friends.

Deccaford wrote a letter to the victim apologising for his actions on Friday. Picture: Facebook

Deccaford was 33 at the time of the offending. Picture: Facebook

The 15-year-old in the case identifies as non-binary.

Deccaford led the teenager to level seven of a nearby Wilsons carpark into a fire exit. It was here Deccaford gave the child meth and raped them.

Court documents reveal the victim texted a friend before leaving the shopping mall writing: “Following a random guy who I think is giving me drugs. I can’t hear him properly he’s taking me somewhere.”

After taking the drug, the victim said they felt “warm and fuzzy” and “could not think straight”.

“The victim recalls they had no energy and that the offender only had to push them gently for them to fall to the floor,” the documents state.

In handing down the sentence, Judge John Pickering SC said the victim asked Deccaford “can I go soon”, however, was ignored.

“They were not in a position to consent,” Judge Pickering said about the victim.

Deccaford then raped the victim for a “significant” amount of time while calling them a “good little girl” and “his sweet princess”. Deccaford then offered the teenager money afterwards to which the victim said they were “good for money”.

The man was not known to the victim. Picture: TripAdvisor

Afterwards, the victim’s friend asked in a voice message: “Did he actually give you drugs?”

The victim responded: “Yeah it was shooting [up]. I didn’t want to. But he made me and then raped me.”

The teenager immediately reported the incident to police at Central Station and underwent a rape kit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

“It must have been an upsetting moment for the victim,” Judge Pickering stated in the judgment.

“The fact they immediately reported it and allowed the police to investigate and subsequently prosecute speaks to how much it must have impacted them.”

After being arrested, Deccaford told police he didn’t realise the victim was underage.

In Friday’s sentencing, Judge Pickering said the case was “unusual” as he used “kind” language to the victim.

“The unusual aspect is in that the way he spoke to the victim and treated [them] at the time,” he said.

“It seemed to reflect some aspect of him not being disrespectful to them.”

He also noted there was no added violence during the incident “over and above the actual offending”.

The judge noted that Deccaford moved from South Africa to Australia when he was 17 with his aunt after his mother was killed and his father committed suicide.

The court heard how Deccaford had developed borderline personality disorder, PTSD, major depression and anxiety after witnessing prolonged domestic violence within the home.

Judge Pickering noted the offence was “opportunistic” and said he appreciated that the victim was “very close to 16”.

“He has had many adult relationships in his life none of which have resulted in this type of offending,” Judge Pickering said.

The judge also noted that Deccaford had an extensive criminal record and was on parole for financial deception charges at the time of offending.

Deccaford was also given a 25 per cent discount on his sentence for pleading guilty to one count of sexually touching a child and one count of the aggravated sexual assault of a victim under the age of 16 at the earliest stage.

He will be eligible for parole on April 1 2026.

Originally published as ‘He made me’: Father’s vile act in shopping centre