SEQ religious leader’s vile acts against foster child exposed

A southeast Queensland religious leader has been handed a jail sentence for vile misdeeds against his own foster daughter, preying on her as the rest of their household slept.

Ipswich courthouse. Picture: Supplied

A Toowoomba religious figure has been handed an eight-year jail sentence for disgusting sexual abuse of his foster daughter.

An Ipswich court heard at the man’s sentence today how his vile crimes lost him a position working alongside a southeast Queensland religious school.

A Toowoomba jury found the man guilty last week of four domestic violence charges: maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, two counts of rape, and one of indecently treating a child under 16 in his care (by photo/film).

The man’s sentence proceeded in Ipswich District Court on November 3, at which time he pleaded guilty to an additional charge of possessing child exploitation material.

Many attendees were left standing without a seat, as a large crowd came to show their support – including the man’s wife.

The court heard he had sexually abused his foster daughter on multiple occasions throughout a 16-month period.

The girl, aged 11 to 12 throughout the offending, had said the man had visited her bedroom at night up to three times a week.

She said he would have sex or try to have sex with her regularly when he visited, after the rest of the house fell asleep.

Judge Dennis Lynch noted he did not proceed on the basis that the man had visited her three times a week every week throughout the offending period.

However, he accepted the offending had been regular.

The man had further videoed the girl during private moments through her bedroom window.

The court heard the girl had deleted a video of herself when she found it on his phone.

She then approached police, who searched the man’s home and found child exploitation material across two devices pertaining to different children who were unknown to him.

The material included over 500 images, of which 47 were of the most serious category, and 19 videos.

Judge Lynch acknowledged the man’s good work record, along with the strong support from the community and the man’s wife.

The man was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, with eight days of presentence custody declared time-served.

He will be eligible for parole after serving just under half of that sentence, on April 25, 2027.