Man jailed for sex abuse crimes against three girls including own niece and neighbour’s daughter

A man has been jailed for almost 10 years for a series of horrific sex crimes against children, including his niece and neighbour’s daughter.

A man has been jailed for sexually abusing three young girls over a period of six years – one of them his own niece.

The man, who can’t be named to protect his victims identities, appeared in the District Court on Tuesday where he was sentenced for child sex crimes spanning 2010 to 2016.

Judge Gordon Barrett had previously found the now-39-year-old man guilty of attempted rape of his neighbour’s daughter and the sexual abuse of his niece.

The man had already pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl who went on to be his girlfriend for seven years.

Judge Barret said the man attempted to rape his second victim some time between September and November in 2013.

The girl, aged eight or nine, had been left at his house after her mother – the man’s neighbour – went to hospital in relation to her pregnancy.

Judge Barrett said the man’s third offence, against his own niece, happened in 2016 when he was aged between 30 and 31, and the girl was aged only eight years old.

“On a number of occasions you came into the bedroom where she was sleeping with other children,” he said.

“You carried her to another room where you digitally raped her. You put your hand over her mouth.”

Judge Barrett said the man has no prior offences of the kind, has suffered with his mental health and had previously worked on a farm.

Judge Barrett sentenced the man to nine years, eight months and 13 days imprisonment with a non-parole period of seven years, nine months and five days.

The sentence was backdated to October 30, 2023.