Man jailed for two decades after abusing partner’s 13-month-old baby and 13-year-old daughter

A “monster” who abused a baby and her 13-year-old sister will spend at least two decades behind bars, with the children’s mother also jailed for heinous child abuse material crimes.

A “monster” who preyed on his partner’s 13-year-old daughter and threatened to sexually abuse her infant sister as blackmail will spend over two decades in prison for his “depraved, evil” crimes.

The man and his former partner, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were handed lengthy jail sentences in the South Australian District Court on Thursday after the pair pleaded guilty to charges of producing and possessing child exploitation material.

The man also pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 14, and the sexual abuse of a child in relation to the women’s two daughters – aged just 13 months and 13 years respectively at the time of the offending.

The court heard the older daughter had been showering when she heard the piercing scream of her baby sister – then aged between 13-16 months old – when she rushed out to check on her.

“She saw you with (the infant) as if you were changing her nappy, but that is not what you were doing,” Judge Liesl Kudelka said.

“She told you that if you were going to (abuse her sister) that you should do it to her instead, and she said that because it was her instinct to protect her little sister.”

The victim of an “evil monster” sacrificed herself to protect her sister.

Judge Kudelka said that the man then went on to abuse the older daughter on multiple occasions – several of which were while they were in bed with the child’s mother.

“You threatened to abuse (the infant) unless she performed (sexual acts) with you.

“You also promised that if she did, you would arrange a family day out. So she did. You did end up taking the family to the beach.

Judge Kudelka said that in her victim impact statement, the older daughter said the man had “stolen her innocence” and used his position of power against her.

“She describes you as a monster.”

“The sexual assault of an infant is a truly unfathomable crime.

“Your offending against (the two children) was in one word, evil.”

In sentencing, Judge Kudelka said the pair’s twisted online conversations involved discussions about what they would do to infant children for their own sexual gratification.

“It is difficult to understand what could make an adult do that to an infant, to even think of an infant in a sexual way, let alone act upon it,” she said.

“The child exploitation material produced can be described as the discussions between the two of you about performing sex acts with or in the presence of infants and children.

“You also discussed the rape and murder of a baby.”

Judge Kudelka jailed the woman for four years, with a non parole period of three years, 16 days.

“You (the woman) claimed you that you did not appreciate that kind of messaging was criminal because it was all fantasy, I take it that you though t it was criminal only if you actually did those things to the innocent children, but the messages are deeply disturbing and there is no doubt about it, it is child exploitation material.”

For all of his offending, the man was jailed for a total of 25 years, six months and 24 days, with a non parole period of 16 years and ten months.

Both of their sentences were backdated to their arrest in August 2021, meaning the man will be eligible for parole in June, 2038.