Andrew Donald Steele pleads guilty to persistent sexual abuse charges

This man took on an overseas trip to a resort in the Philippines to meet with a local family – but a judge says it had one horrific purpose.

A Yankalilla man exploited a Filipino family’s poverty, and “corrupted” the bond between a mother and daughter, so he could sexually abuse the girl for five years, a court has heard.

In the District Court on Wednesday, self-confessed child abuser Andrew Donald Steele pleaded guilty to a further seven charges arising from his persistent abuse of the girl between 2018 and 2023.

John Clover, prosecuting, said Steele had offended in three countries – Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia – both in-person and online, but always against the same girl.

Andrew Donald Steele plead guilty to a further seven charges in relation to persistent abuse of a child. Picture: Facebook

He said Steele had paid as little as $115, or covered the cost of a mobile phone bill, to have the girl available to be abused at his whim.

“Steele began using an overseas dating app, which led to him coming into contact with the victim’s mother … that ultimately leads to him travelling to the Philippines,” he said.

“He and (the victim’s) family attend at a resort … that’s when the contact offending occurred.

“Over the subsequent period of time, he agreed to pay the mother in exchange for her daughter being made available for further abuse … Steele has corrupted the family relationship.”

Judge Paul Muscat said it was clear the original 2018 “holiday” had but one purpose.

“Clearly that ‘visit’ had to be planned specifically for the sexual abuse of the child … that’s an inference I’m willing to draw beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said.

“It’s hard to imagine, but sadly it’s true, that the mother is complicit in this … Steele has taken advantage of their poverty so he can offend.”

Steele’s family is not accused of any wrongdoing and it is not suggested they knew about his offending.

Steele, 65, of Yankalilla, previously pleaded guilty to one count of persistently sexually abusing a child outside Australia.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in sexual activities with a child outside Australia, and to using a carriage service to disseminate child exploitation material.

Steele further pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing and distributing child exploitation material, and one count of accessing that material online.

He was apprehended by SA’s elite Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team, and both girls were subsequently rescued from their abuse.

Steele was arrested at his Yankalilla home. Picture: AFP

On Wednesday, Steele pleaded guilty to persistently sexually abusing a child, and multiple counts of engaging in the sexual abuse of a child, outside of Australia.

He also pleaded guilty to having downloaded, accessing and possessing child abuse material in Australia, while in the Philippines and during a different holiday in Indonesia.

Mr Clover said some of Steele’s in-person offending was committed while his victim’s younger sister watched, while his online offending had exposed the girl to ongoing “psychological harm”.

He agreed the girl’s mother was “plainly” complicit in Steele’s crimes.

Judge Muscat remanded Steele in custody for sentencing in November.