Young girl sexually abused at family-run daycare by 12-year-old boy

A man who repeatedly sexually abused a little girl when he was 12 years old at a home-based day care centre has been convicted decades later for what he did.

The man, who cannot be named, was sentenced on three counts of indecent treatment of a child.

A young girl was sexually abused by a 12-year-old boy while at a family-run daycare centre, with the offending taking 25 years to come to justice.

The man, who cannot be named because he was a child at the time but who is now 38, pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent treatment of a child when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

The offending happened over the course of about 18 months.

The man had been aged 12-13 when it took place, and had no prior criminal history at the time.

The victim had been three to five years-of-age.

In one instance, the boy sat next to her on a couch, put a blanket across their laps and pulled her hand across to touch his penis, the court heard.

The man, who cannot be named, was sentenced on three counts of indecent treatment of a child.

On a different day at the home-based family day care, other children were in the room and he asked them to leave to look for his wallet.

He then put a blanket over himself and the girl and licked her vagina for five to 10 minutes before the other children returned.

The boy then carried her into a bedroom, pulled his shorts down and “rubbed his erect penis against her vagina”.

That incident happened in the company of his young friend, the court was told.

The girl later spoke of it during high school, then later to her mother and uncle, but nothing resulted from her disclosures at that time.

Judge Carl Heaton said while it had been committed by a child, it was serious offending.

He said while the man had now accumulated a concerning criminal history, at the time the boy had no criminal history.

His criminal history since that time had not included offending towards children, Judge Heaton said.

But general deterrence and denunciation remained relevant, he said.

In her victim impact statement she eloquently outlined the significant impact and sense of betrayal the offending continued to have on her, Judge Heaton said.

While there were some predatory elements in the offending, children lacked maturity and did not have the same capacity for sound decision making, which was why sentencing for children focused on rehabilitation, Judge Heaton said.

Letters of support submitted on the man’s behalf spoke well of his qualities, he said.

Judge Heaton sentenced the man to a three-year, $1000 good behaviour bond.

No convictions were recorded.

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