Sex offender Hamzeh Bahrami eligible for parole in less than two years after being sentenced for abusing girl in toilet block
A sex offender who can’t explain why he abused a 10-year-old girl in a public toilet block will be eligible for parole in less than two years, despite having his crimes labelled “abhorrent” and “despicable”.
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A sex offender who abused a 10-year-old girl in a public toilet block will be eligible for parole in less than two years after being sentenced for his “despicable” crimes.
Judge Paul Slattery labelled Hamzeh Bahrami’s crimes as “abhorrent in the extreme” and questioned a psychologist’s report that found he was a low risk of reoffending.
But despite the harsh words for the 33-year-old, Judge Slattery allowed the full 40 per cent discount for pleading guilty early, wiping more than three years from the man’s prison sentence.
With time served in custody Bahrami will be eligible for parole in April 2022.
Bahrami was charged with five counts of indecent assault and one charge of false imprisonment.
On April 3, 2019, while he was playing with his young daughter and niece at a park in Blair Athol, Bahrami led a 10-year-old girl who he had not met before into a toilet block.
While his young child and niece looked under the door of the toilet cubicle Bahrami abused the girl before she kicked him and managed to escape.
Security camera of the outside of the toilet block showed the young girl fleeing eight minutes after being coaxed inside.
She went home to her mother who went to the park with her looking for Bahrami.
With the help of a stranger walking through the park the victim’s mother phoned the police.
DNA taken from the young girl led police to Bahrami’s brother, who was arrested but released a short time later.
Bahrami maintained his innocence even when arrested and did not admit the abuse until his first court appearance.
A psychiatric report tendered in court concluded that Bahrami was a low risk of reoffending.
“I have great difficulty accepting that opinion,” Judge Slattery said.
“The most strange and troubling part of the psychiatric report is that you cannot give any reason for your offending.
“You deny a prurient interest in children and described your actions as impulsive.
“Your offending is abhorrent in the extreme, that you are unable to explain your behaviour is of great concern to me.”
Bahrami has been the subject of attacks in prison because of the nature of his crimes.
Judge Slattery said it was not for him as sentencing judge to protect Bahrami but for Corrections to keep him safe.
However, he allowed a small reduction for the time Bahrami was likely to spend in protective custody.
Judge Slattery said that Bahrami’s offending was the most serious of its kind.
“You preyed on an innocent girl playing in a park close to her home,” he said,
“You were indifferent to her suffering.”
Despite reservations, Judge Slattery gave Bahrami the entire 40 per cent discount for pleading guilty early, saying the utility of the discount as an incentive to guilty people was an important factor.
Bahrami was sentenced to four years, seven months and 14 days in prison with a non-parole period of three years, including time already served.
He will be eligible for parole in April 2022.
Originally published as Sex offender Hamzeh Bahrami eligible for parole in less than two years after being sentenced for abusing girl in toilet block