Riley Colin Carkeet sentenced over sex crime against 12yo girl

A 19-year-old Gympie man took a 12-year-old girl to watch a movie at his house, but when the lights went out, things took a sinister turn that would ruin the girl’s life.

Riley Colin Carkeet was sentenced over a sex crime against a 12-year-old girl that took place in June 2020.

A 20-year-old convicted sex offender, who was brutally assaulted by his 12-year-old victim’s father after hearing what he did, was sentenced on Wednesday for the crime that left the girl traumatised.

Riley Colin Carkeet pleaded guilty to having unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 16 when he last appeared in Gympie District Court on July 12, 2021.

He originally pleaded not guilty to the charge on May 5, 2021, but changed his plea just as he was about to pre-record evidence in his July appearance.

Carkeet was supported by his family in the public gallery during his sentence in Gympie District Court on Wednesday.

Gympie District Court.

The court heard Carkeet, who was 19 at the time, picked up the then 12-year-old girl to watch a movie with him at his house.

Judge Vicki Loury said Carkeet knew the girl was 12.

“You watched a movie in the bedroom, after which you turned off the TV and the lights,” Ms Loury said.

She said the young victim felt scared and Carkeet comforted her by putting his arm around her and watching Tik Tok videos with her for about an hour.

“You then kissed her, removed her clothing and your own; she was paralysed with fear and couldn’t speak,” she said.

The court heard Carkeet attempted to have sex with the underage girl, but was unsuccessful.

He tried to calm the girl down by telling her “it’s fine, it’s okay”, and tried again.

Carkeet only stopped when the young girl shouted for him to do so.

Riley Colin Carkeet outside Gympie District Court on May 5, 2021.

When he was confronted by one of the victim’s friends eight days later he told her the victim was lying, the court heard.

He was arrested, but refused to be interviewed by police.

Ms Loury said the same day Carkeet was arrested, he was bashed by the victim’s father after he found out what Carkeet had done.

Carkeet was taken to hospital, where a small bleed on the brain was found.

He was subject to brutal abuse on social media once word got out what had happened and he left Gympie altogether, though he returned in July for sentence.

Ms Loury said his actions had a “significant” impact on the young victim, who had turned to alcohol, drug abuse and self harm.

“She was a high achiever with hopes and plans for the future, prior to your offending,” Ms Loury said.

Carkeet narrowly avoided jail due to the circumstances of his offending, and was instead given a 12-month intensive correction order.