Man's indecent act towards friend's 15-year-old daughter

She shared a photo of herself in the pool wearing sunglasses, and this is how he reacted.

He initiated contact with the 15-year-old girl through Facebook messenger. Picture: Max Pixel

A MAN has been sentenced in the district court after he befriended and sexted a 15-year-old girl through Facebook.

The 50-year-old South Burnett man was sentenced in Kingaroy District Court on March 11, for one count of attempted indecent treatment of a child under 16 and a count of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

Sometime between November 31 and December 15 in 2016, the man initiated contact with a friend's daughter through Facebook while he was living in Tara.

Crown lawyer R. Reid said the man, who was 47 at the time of the offending, had asked the complainant if she ever had or thought about having sexual intercourse.

The girl had shared a photo of herself in the pool wearing sunglasses through messenger, which she had also shared publicly on social media.

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"He asked the complainant to send a photo of her breasts, and she refused that request," Mr Reid said.

The man raised the possibility of sending a photo of his penis to the girl, but she objected.

"Nonetheless he sent through a picture of his penis to her saying 'that's it soft,'" Mr Reid said.

"To which she responded 'right' before ceasing communication."

Mr Reid said the man had told a friend he had done something stupid on December 20, 2016.

"That he'd sent a picture of his penis to the complainant, but he said that he thought she was cracking onto him," he said.

The court heard the friend was concerned and later confirmed the incident with the complainant and her parents, before reporting it to police.

Defence lawyer C. Cuthbert said this whole experience has made the defendant aware.

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"It was a stupid thing to do, he blames the complainant that he thought she was trying to 'crack onto him,'" he said.

Miss Cuthbert said the offending was at the lower end due to no physical touching and the girl was almost 16.

She said the man had a very difficult upbringing, and was physically abused by his stepfather.

The court heard he had not attended high school but has worked hard as a ringer for more than 30 years.

He developed a condition affecting his mobility and now lives on a property with his wife.

"The value of the suspended sentence, is that it hangs over his own head, he therefore becomes his own jail," Miss Cuthbert said.

"He has asked me to express his remorse at his stupidity."

Judge Nicole Kefford said the offending involved no physical contact.

"It was brief in its nature, there was disposition of trust, no violence and there was no threats which I consider to be relevant," she said.

For the attempted indecent treatment, the contact through instant messenger, the defendant was sentenced to imprisonment for six months, which was wholly suspended.

For count two of indecent treatment, sending the photograph, he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, which was wholly suspended.

All convictions were recorded.