Mackay father jailed for sexually assaulting daughter, stepdaughter

A Qld father on NDIS support payments betrayed both his biological daughter and stepdaughter, holding them down and subjecting them to years of “abhorrent” abuse. *Distressing.

A father has been sentenced for sexually abusing his daughters.

A Mackay father has been jailed for the “abhorrent” sexual abuse of his own daughter and stepdaughter.

The man in his 30s grew up in the Sunshine Coast region before moving north and had a number of children since, Mackay District Court heard.

Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard said the man’s stepdaughter was at his unit and after taking a shower, went to get dressed when he put her on the bed.

The court heard he committed a gross act, and victim told him she was in pain, and he stopped.

Then, he assaulted her again on another occasion when she asked for a towel at his home and he instead “grabbed her by the stomach, threw her over the shoulder and put her on the bed”.

“She sought to resist you, but you held her down with your weight,” Judge Michael Barnett said.

“She felt a lot of pain and she told you to stop … eventually you did stop.”

The court was told the stepdaughter, aged between 11 and 13 during the offending years, repeatedly tried to push him off but he pinned her down by the wrists.

Then in the years after, he sexually assaulted his own daughter in a similar way to his stepdaughter when she was aged under 10.

Ms Sheppard said the offending represented a considerable breach of trust and “his offending against his biological daughter is of grave seriousness”.

Defence barrister Scott Moon said the man was diagnosed with ASD by a psychologist and he was provided with a NDIS package.

Mr Moon told the court heard he three children, but one passed away.

“That took quite a toll on the family,” Mr Moon said.

The man was supported in court by his former partner, who was also the mother of his second victim.

Mr Moon said his client had an otherwise good history and wanted to move away from Mackay.

The man pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16 under care and one charge of indecent treatment of a child under 12 under care.

Judge Burnett said the man had complied with bail and had various health issues.

However, he said the impact of the man’s offending on his daughter had far more “reaching effects” due to her underlying conditions.

“This behaviour is abhorrent … this offending to my mind is far more morally reprehensible,” Judge Burnett said.
“The conduct was persistent.”

The man was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the sentence to be suspended after 10 months.

That suspended sentenced will hang over his head for another three years and he will serve 18 months' probation.

“If you can be rehabilitated – evidence suggests these programs can be very effective,” Judge Burnett said.

“You will become a reportable offender which will see you supervised for at least five years.”