Former SA motocross rider jailed for sexual abuse of daughter, indecent assault of stepdaughter

A former motocross and dirt bike rider from Adelaide’s northern suburbs has been jailed for the years-long sexual abuse of his daughter and indecently assaulting his stepdaughter.

A former motocross rider and dirt bike rider could be out of jail in a little more than two years after sexually abusing his teenage daughter and indecently assaulting his stepdaughter.

The 42-year-old man, who the court heard was an avid motorbike rider once involved in dirt bikes freestyle motocross, was sentenced in the District Court by Judge Carmen Matteo last month and cannot be identified to protect his victims.

The court heard the man, from Adelaide’s northern suburbs, sexually abused his daughter, aged 13, on multiple occasions between January 2021 and January 2023.

It also heard he would watch her and his stepdaughter in the shower, while multiple explicit videos were found on his phone of his daughter.

The abuse began after the man and his children moved in with his new partner and her two children, one of which he also indecently assaulted, Judge Matteo said.

His offending “came to light” in December of 2022 when his son disclosed at school the man had been “inappropriately touching” his daughter.

Police were notified but the girl would not disclose anything, telling her mother she “did not want to talk about it until after Christmas”.

The man then continued to sexually abuse her over the holiday period, the court heard.

In early 2023 the girl told police about the sexual abuse she had endured from her father, and he was arrested that day.

His stepdaughter was interviewed by police about a week later.

She alleged the man would “walk in” on her getting changed and while she and the man’s daughter were showering and once indecently assaulted her when they rode quad bikes on a friend’s property, which he admitted to.

The man had pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his daughter and committing aggravated assault against his stepdaughter while she was aged between 10 and 12.

Judge Matteo said the daughter felt “shamed and physically ill” about what her father had done to her.

“(She) says that before your abuse of her, she was a happy 12-year-old who could do things that she loved. Once your abuse of her commenced, she was unable to leave the house,” she said.

“Quite wrongly, she blames herself for what you did. (She) describes her experience of you treating her more like a girlfriend than your daughter and says that she would keep coming back to your house to be able to see and protect her younger sister.”

The stepdaughter, in her victim impact statement, said the offending changed her life.

“She says that whereas she used to enjoy going to school, playing sports and spending time with her friends, she now no longer attends school regularly, does not really have friends any more and gets anxious talking to people,” Judge Matteo said.

The court heard the man had been through multiple motorbike crashes over the years and had trained other riders.

A psychologist said there was not enough evidence to diagnose the man with a pedophilic disorder but could not explain why he committed those offences.

She said a lack of prior sexual offending history, willingness to take responsibility for his actions and his remorse was “in favour of your rehabilitation”.

The man was sentenced to seven years and one month in prison, with a non-parole period of four years, backdated to January 2023.