Man faces Ipswich Court for sick sex abuse of partner’s teen daughters

A sexual assault victim has bravely confronted her abuser in court, after she and her sister kept secret for decades what he had done to them throughout their teenage years.

A sexual assault victim has bravely confronted her abuser in court, after she and her sister kept secret for decades what he had done to them throughout their teenage years. Generic image.

Two sisters kept secret for decades how they were both sexually abused by the same man for years as they were growing up, a southeast Queensland court has heard.

But one of the girls, now an adult, bravely faced their abuser at his Ipswich District Court sentencing today, April 18, to tell him how his actions had haunted her.

The man, in his 60s, pleaded guilty to two counts of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, four counts of sexual assault, and four counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

The court heard the man had sexually abused his partner’s two teenage daughters for around four years in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Crown prosecutor Alex Baker said the man’s offending was a “profound breach of trust”, noting he had told the girls not to tell anyone.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said the man had also told the girls not to tell each other because the other one “might get jealous”.

The girls had “kept his secret for decades” before coming forward, the court heard.

One of the girls, now an adult, read out her victim impact statement in court.

“I felt ashamed and embarrassed because of what you did to me,” she said.

“I couldn’t tell anyone for fear of getting into trouble or that no-one would believe me.”

“You have impaired my trust and intuition towards others.

“It has ruined relationships with friends and family, and it’s also destroyed any self love I have had for myself.”

“It is difficult for me to be out in public. I freeze and panic when I see any man that looks remotely like you.”

“No amount of time served can give back what you have taken from me, but at the very least you are now the one who is fully exposed.”

Defence barrister Steve Kissick acknowledged his client had been in a position of trust.

He said the man’s time in custody would be more difficult because of certain medical difficulties.

Judge Horneman-Wren told the man the impact of his offending upon the victims was “profound and ongoing”.

“Your fleeting moments of sexual gratification all those years ago at the expense of these children continues to resonate and reverberate through their lives,” he said.

However, he acknowledged the man’s guilty plea had saved the victims from having to give evidence at trial.

The man was sentenced to seven years in jail, with parole eligibility on January 17, 2026.