Manager jailed for child rape, indecent treatment

A regional Qld manager has been jailed for the sickening rapes and abuse of his step daughter, which he not only committed but filmed and shared with other perverts.

A man has been sentenced for multiple counts of rape, indecent treatment of an under 16 year old, possessing, making, and distributing child exploitation material. Gympie District Court. January 29, 2024.

A judge has sentenced a business manager to jail after hearing the sickening details of what he described as “heinous and one of the most serious offences” towards the man’s seven-year-old stepdaughter at the time.

The man, aged in his 30s, cannot be named to protect the victim.

He stood silently in the dock at the Gympie District Court on Monday as he was convicted of five counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 years old, three counts of rape and one count each of using a carriage service to access photos of underage children, possessing, making and distributing child exploitation material.

In November 2021, police attended the man’s house and found more than 100 images and 40 movies of child exploitation material on his phone, including the “depiction of rape of young girls by old men”, the Crown Prosecutor told the court.

“They realised some of the material on the phone depicted a child in the house,” he said.

The court heard how further investigations showed he had raped his seven-year-old stepdaughter in October 2021 and then two weeks later “distributed it to other miscreants online”.

His ex-wife and mother of the child read her victim statement to the court, recounting the harrowing details of the moments she found the police at their house and had to identify the contents on the phone.

A man has been sentenced for multiple counts of rape, indecent treatment of an under 16 year old, possessing, making, and distributing child exploitation material. Gympie District Court. January 29, 2024.

“At first I was in disbelief that the man I married who I thought loved my children and I could possibly be responsible for this crime,” she told the court.

She spoke of the trauma associated with their home, how she had to explain to her children why their stepfather had left, stand beside her daughter as she was medically examined, and identify parts of her house in the videos, along with both her ex-husband’s and daughter’s items.

She said her family was “heartbroken” and the healing journey was far from over, especially for her daughter.

“She has shown us she is strong, resilient and our inspiration,” she said.

Defence barrister William Prizeman said the man had struggled with verbal and physical abuse from both his parents growing up, had been in stable employment most of his life as a manager with no criminal history.

Mr Prizeman said the man suffered anxiety and had been addicted to pornography since he was 10 years old, using it as a coping mechanism.

“He inadvertently came across child exploitation material and his search ended up in chat rooms with other offenders where they encouraged and requested images and description that ultimately led to the offending,” he said.

Judge Glen Cash was not satisfied that simply his acknowledgement of “remorse, shame and disgust” demonstrated insight into his behaviour.

“These are abhorrent urges and he has an inescapably serious and perverted interest in children,” Judge Cash said.

The man was sentenced to 10 years jail.

Mr Cash declined to set a parole eligibility date.