Ipswich man faces court for indecently treating wife’s underage sisters, after grooming another child

An Ipswich dad is on track for deportation after he tore apart his own family by sexually abusing his wife’s two underage sisters – after he had already groomed another child.

An Ipswich dad is on track for deportation after he tore apart his own family by sexually abusing his wife’s two underage sisters – after he had already groomed another child.

An Ipswich dad faced court twice in one week for two separate child abuse cases, in which he sexually abused his wife’s underage sisters and groomed another child.

The man pleaded guilty on Friday, December 8, to two counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 (DV), two counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12 (DV), and four breaches of bail.

The Ipswich District Court heard he had been sentenced on Monday, December 4, to 12 months jail for grooming another child and using electronic communication to procure a child under 16.

Crown prosecutor Matt LeGrand said the man had been on bail for that offending when he committed the further indecent treatment offences against his two young sisters-in-law.

The younger of the two was just 10 when the man sexually abused her, the court heard.

He had sat her on his lap and rubbed himself against her, through clothing, on two occasions while watching pornography.

The older of the two sisters had been 13 when the man indecently touched her while giving her a massage.

He also squeezed her on her breast.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said the older sister’s victim impact statement demonstrated how the man’s “gross breach of trust” had “severely eroded if not destroyed the trust she has in men”.

He said a statement from the man’s mother-in-law made it “obvious” the man had “torn apart a family” in “fleeting satisfaction of sexual desire”.

The man had been arrested after his indecent treatment offending and spent 666 days in custody on remand.

Mr LeGrand said the man had a “seemingly entrenched sexual interest in young females,” and was not deterred even while on bail for similar offending.

“He represents a danger going forward,” Mr LeGrand said.

Defence barrister Ambyr Cousen said her client had experienced significant trauma shortly prior to the offending, and had fallen into alcohol abuse as a result.

He had completed a number of certificates while in custody to assist him with rehabilitation.

But the court heard he would almost certainly be deported after his release from custody.

Ms Cousen said even if her client remained in the community for a short time before his visa was cancelled, he would be supervised as a reportable offender in that time.

Judge Horneman-Wren noted the man’s young son appeared not to understand where his father had been for the period of time he’d spent in custody.

He remarked upon the “pathos” of how the man’s deportation would clearly continue to tear apart his family.

The man was sentenced to three and a half years’ jail, suspended for four years after serving 673 days in custody.

His 666 days in presentence custody were declared time served.