Elderly sex offender faces court for assaulting vulnerable woman in Burnett aged care home

A man previously jailed for sexually abusing children has come back before a South Burnett judge for sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman in an aged care facility

An elderly sex offender will be back on the streets this week, despite pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman in an aged care home.

Bruce Taylor, 81, was sentenced in Kingaroy District Court on Wednesday, May 26, after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault.

Taylor appeared via video link from prison, with the elderly man’s walker visible in the cell.

Crown prosecutor Christa Nicola told the court this was not the elderly man’s first sexual offence, with Taylor previously jailed for serious offences nearly a decade ago in Mt Isa in 2012.

“That particular entry relates to maintaining a relationship with a child … two charges. There was also sodomy, rape and indecent treatment offences and various other committed exposure offences,” Ms Nicola said.

“In relation to that entry he was ultimately sentenced to 12 years imprisonment … and he was given a serious violent offender conviction.”

She said the judge at the time of sentencing described Taylor’s actions as “appalling, disgusting, degrading, and most sadly robbed each of those children of their innocence”.

Taylor was paroled in May 2019, but less than year later started offending against the vulnerable woman.

Ms Nicola said the complainant and Taylor met at a South Burnett aged care facility.

In late January 2020, Taylor entered her room uninvited and rubbed her inner thigh and breasts and told her she was “beautiful”.

Then in February, Taylor again entered the woman’s room and asked her inappropriate and intimate questions and rubbed her on the inner thigh.

The victim made disclosures as to the behaviour and Taylor was arrested on February 19, 2020.

He was represented in court by barrister James Benjamin, who drew attention to his client’s age in seeking a quick release from prison, where he said Taylor was vulnerable.

Mr Benjamin said the unit in Maryborough Correction Center Taylor was housed in also held many “unsavoury characters” that Taylor was vulnerable to.

“I‘m instructed that he receives little sympathy, perhaps because of his history, from those charged with keeping him safe,” Mr Benjamin said.

“I‘m not suggesting that he’s unsafe to go that far, but certainly, he is vulnerable.”

He also noted Taylor had served as a marriage celebrant and in the navy, which he described as “serving his community in the past”.

Taylor told the court he intended to return to Kingaroy upon his release.

Judge Glenn Cash QC noted in his sentence that while Taylor had been in custody since February 2020, much of that time was due to his parole being revoked and as such only 125 days of custody could be taken as time already served.

“(The victim) was a vulnerable woman, and it was wrong for you to go and touch her as you did,” Judge Cash said.

Judge Cash then chose to sentence Taylor to a period of suspended imprisonment due to his circumstances and his early plea.

“(The 125 days is) I think, a sufficient period of time in custody to reflect what you have done,” he said.

“Your time in jail I have no doubt has been difficult – your age and conditions and to some extent I suspect the prior offending that saw you in prison for a long time would contribute to that vulnerability.”

Taylor was sentenced to two years of imprisonment on both counts, to be suspended after 125 days.

Judge Cash ordered that 125 days of Taylor custody since his arrest be taken as time already served, meaning he was eligible for release today.