Sydney Williams in Kingaroy District Court for indecent treatment of child, 14

A schoolgirl targeted by a 30-year-old Burnett man said she still struggles to look in the mirror and trust adults as the man is sentenced for sexualised offending against her.

The child victim of 30-year-old Sydney Williams revealed the lasting impacts of his “grooming” behaviour, saying she still has difficulty trusting people and “feels worthless” when looking in the mirror.

Crown prosecutor Alysha Ballantyne said the offences dated back to March this 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.

He told her 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 impact statement in Kingaroy District Court, which revealed her ongoing struggle to cope with day-to-day life.

“The messages from Sydney Williams have caused a lot of stress. When seeing him or even a glimpse I become a mess and breakdown,” it read.

“I have had to have time off school because of this, which has affected my grades.

“When people are talking about sexual harassment I have a panic attack, and at night I have nightmares and wake up in tears.

“Most days it is like a roller coaster of emotions and the littlest things can set me off.

“I was always cheerful, confident and happy. I look at myself some days in the mirror and just feel so worthless.

“Since this happened it haunts me every day.”

Sydney Williams pleaded guilty to using electronic communication to procure a child under 16 and the indecent treatment of a child under 16 in Kingaroy District Court. Photo: Dominic Elsome

Ms Ballantyne said the 14-year-old’s mother saw the messages on another device left at the house and made a formal complaint to police on March 16.

She said while there was no physical harm to the child, there was “grooming” behaviour involved.

Barrister Catherine Cuthbert said Williams suffers from cerebral palsy and had an extremely low IQ, which would make jail time more difficult for him than others.

Judge David Kent said while indecent treatment typically carries a custodial sentence, he accepted exceptional circumstances existed in this case, due to Williams’ physical and intellectual disabilities.

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 in jail, which was suspended for two years, and placed on probation for two years.