Man escapes jail time for child sex offences

A man, whose sick actions included showing a child pictures of his topless mother, claims he did so for “education” purposes, a court has heard.

“Sex education” was the defence for a man who pleaded guilty at Bundaberg District Court to seven counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

On Friday, Crown Prosecutor Carla Ahern told the court some of the charges related to the man exposing his 13-year-old stepson to indecent films or photographs which depicted intercourse in 2019.

The man, in his 30s, who was in a relationship with the boy’s mother, also sent photographs to the boy including two of the mother with her breasts exposed.

The court also heard the man was sitting on the couch with the child watching the movie Jumanji when he told him he was getting aroused and performed an indecent act.

A man has narrowly escaped jail time after he showed a child pornographic images and played with himself while they were watching the movie Jumanji forsex education purposes, a court was told.

The man’s defence team argued the boy’s biological father and his mother didn’t feel comfortable talking to him about sex, so his mother asked him to teach her son about it.

The court heard it wasn’t the first time the man had been charged with sex-related offences.

In 2011, the man pleaded guilty to three counts of committing an indecent act with intent to insult or offend.

He was arrested after witnesses saw him masturbating in full view of the public in his front yard and admitted he did it for the “thrill of being caught”.

The man’s lawyer told the court his client had an uneventful childhood and moved from Caboolture to Bundaberg when he was 16.

The man worked as a store manager for five years and most recently had been doing maintenance work.

The court heard the man was forced into “early retirement” after an inury.

“He has no problems with drugs or alcohol and expresses extreme remorse in the way he behaved,” the man’s lawyer said.

Judge Ken Barlow said the man’s motivation for the crimes was “unusual” due to the lack of sexual interest and motive.

The man leaving Bundaberg District Court on Friday.

“Six of the events were believed to be sex education, I don’t know if the seventh could be described that way. I have no idea why you did that,” he said.

“It’s a misguided way of teaching a 13-year-old boy the birds and the bees.

“It’s a serious offence to expose a child under 16 to pornographic material; children are to be protected.

“I accept most of the pornographic material wasn’t near the worst it could be shown in some of the comparative cases which I’ve been referred.”

Judge Ken Barlow told the court the child’s victim impact statement said the treatment by his stepfather had a “significant effect” on his daily life.

“He started smoking weed and drinking alcohol … and gets nervous to talk to girls and finds it hard to speak about his feelings,” Judge Barlow said.

The court heard the man lived with his father and had no contact with the complainant.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years.