Named: Child abuse offenders out in South Burnett community
‘Haunts me everyday’: After committing shocking crimes against the region’s most vulnerable, these are the South Burnett residents convicted of grooming and indecent treatment of children offences serving their sentences out in the community.
Police & Courts
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From a middle-aged man who sent a photograph of his penis to a friend’s child to a man who had sex with an “extremely intoxicated” 15-year-old girl, a number of South Burnett residents have faced court on grooming and indecent treatment offences.
These are the child abuse perpetrators who are now living in the community after pleading guilty to horrifying offences against the region’s most vulnerable residents.
See the full list below:
‘Haunts me everyday’: Child reveals impact of predator’s abuse
The child victim of 30-year-old Sydney Williams revealed the lasting impacts of his grooming behaviour when the man was sentenced in Kingaroy District Court, saying she still had difficulty trusting people and “felt worthless”.
Crown prosecutor Alysha Ballantyne said the offences dated back to March last year when Williams sent the 14-year-old girl a photograph of two people having sex, spoke to her about masturbation, and told her he wanted to kiss her.
The court heard Williams told his victim she could “talk to him about anything”, but it had to stay between them or they’d both “get in trouble”.
Ms Ballantyne read the child’s victim impact statement to the court, which revealed her ongoing struggle to cope with day-to-day life, saying “since this happened it haunts me every day.”
Williams pleaded guilty to using electronic communication to procure a child under 16 and the indecent treatment of a child under 16.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, wholly suspended for two years, and was also placed on probation for two years.
Man jailed after ‘taking advantage’ of 15-year-old child
A man who was found behind a shed with a naked and intoxicated 15-year-old girl served only a few months behind bars.
Murgon Magistrates Court was told a witness found her friend pulling on a jumper to cover her naked torso while the 39-year-old man was seen pulling his track pants from his thighs to around his waist.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Barry Stevens said police and paramedics were called to the address, where they found the victim to be “extremely intoxicated to the point where she was unable to speak or stand”.
The man appeared in court via videolink from the correctional centre where he had served 63 days in pre-sentence custody.
He pleaded guilty to indecent treatment of a child under 16. He was sentenced to 12 months’ jail with eligibility for parole in January last year.
‘He took part of my life’: Man guilty for indecent treatment
A woman claims she has nightmares and walks around the house in the middle of the night to check on her children because of what happened to her when she was growing up in Blackbutt South in the 1990s.
The woman, who now lives elsewhere in Queensland, appeared in Kingaroy District Court as a witness and victim giving evidence against Alan Dennert on indecent treatment charges.
A jury found Dennert, 59, guilty of three counts of indecent treatment of a child and one count of indecent exposure to a child under 16 and under 12 years old.
The offences happened on unknown dates between December 1990 and January 1, 1995, while Dennert was in his 30s at the time.
Dennert was sentenced to 18 months‘ imprisonment to be suspended after six months for two years.
Man’s indecent act towards friend’s 15-year-old daughter
A man walked free from Kingaroy District Court after pleading guilty to befriending and sexting a 15-year-old girl through Facebook.
The South Burnett man was 47 years old at the time of the offending, and asked the victim if she ever had or thought about having sexual intercourse.
The court was told his victim shared a picture of herself in the pool wearing sunglasses, which she had also shared publicly on social media, but refused the man’s requests for pictures of her breasts.
He then sent through a picture of his penis despite the high school student asking him not to.
The man pleaded guilty to one count each of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and attempted indecent treatment of a child under 16.
He was given a wholly-suspended sentence of nine months’ jail.
*For 24-hour sexual violence support call the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or MensLine on 1800 600 636.
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