Ipswich man sentenced for rape, indecent treatment and making child exploitation material

An Ipswich region man who conditioned his little sister to take part in sexual acts which he filmed has been sentenced for rape, indecent treatment and making child exploitation material.

A 22-year-old Ipswich region man has avoided jail time after pleading guilty to raping his younger sister when he was a teenager and she was just a child.

The Ipswich District Court heard the man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, raped and indecently treated the girl when she was aged five to nine, and he was aged 13 to 17.

The teenager “conditioned” the girl to take part in the sexual acts, Judge Dennis Lynch said.

Over the course of the offending the teenage boy filmed the girl exposing herself to the camera and filmed himself raping her.

The man was on bail for the offences and appeared in court on Friday.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of rape – domestic violence offence, two counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12 – domestic violence offence, one count of indecent treatment (take photograph) of a child under 12 (lineal/descendant/guardian/carer) – domestic violence offence.

He also pleaded guilty to four counts of making child exploitation material – domestic violence offence.

The man’s defence barrister said the 22-year-old had not reoffended in the four years since his arrest and had been unable to contact his sister or mother due to his bail conditions.

The court heard the man previously came before the District Court for other offences, where Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren called him “naive and unsophisticated”.

The man was homeschooled to Year 10 and was uncertain about his future employment, but was considering going into technology or truck driving.

His lawyer said the man was introduced to child exploitation material as a teenager by an older man he met online which “engaged his curiosity”.

Judge Lynch said the man had “conditioned” his younger sister to partake in the sexual acts and said the offending was serious.

He sentenced the man to three years on probation.

He said if the man had been dealt with as a child he might have avoided having a conviction recorded against him.

But under the circumstances, he said it was warranted to convict the man on the rape charges.

No convictions were recorded on the remaining offences.