Man jailed for maintaining sexual relationship with a child

A young girl’s Gympie grandfather has been jailed after she exposed the ‘secret’ sexual crimes he committed against her. *Graphic content.

A 71-year-old man was sent to jail after a jury found him guilty of sexual crimes against his step-granddaughter on Monday.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 12 years old between August 2015 and January 2017.

The girl referred to her step-grandfather as “Pop” or “Poppy” and often visited her grandparents with her younger brother.

Crown prosecutor Victoria Adams told the court the victim’s brother was a restless sleeper, so the girl would sleep with her grandfather and her brother with their grandmother.

Her grandfather was the one to suggest this arrangement.

The man appeared in Gympie District Court on Monday.

Ms Adams said the man would often inappropriately touch the girl inappropriately in the bedroom and lounge.

This would occur each time she visited during weekends and school holidays for about six months, Judge Porter said.

The girl was only 10 years old at the time.

He kissed her often, Judge Porter told the court.

He pressed against her in bed and pulled her pants down on a separate occasion.

One another occasion, the man forced her to touch him inappropriately.

File photo: The man inappropriately touched his granddaughter every time she came to visit. Photo: iStock.

The man would say “this is our secret” and not to tell anyone to the young girl, Ms Adams said.

He only stopped when she said “don’t treat me like your girlfriend, I don’t like it. I’m not your girlfriend” when he tried to kiss her.

The man responded “what are you talking about” and stormed off in “outrage”, Judge Porter told the court.

The young girl told her mother years later, who in turn asked her to write a letter describing what happened to her.

Her grandmother was shown the letter and confronted the man.

Judge Porter quoted the man “you know what she’s like, she’s all over me,” but her grandmother was not fooled and told the man to pack his bags.

Defence Counsel M Turner told the court the man had been disowned by the family since that day.

He was arrested then charged in July, 2021.

Judge Porter said the man used his granddaughter’s “a sexual substitute during times of low self-esteem”.

“You only stopped it because she stopped it,” he said.

The 71-year-old was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment to be released on parole on March 11, 2024.