Peter Martin Guest sentenced for stalking Maroochydore IGA worker

A 59-year-old Buderim man’s pursuit of a teenage IGA worker has been labelled as “disturbing” after he sent pictures of himself in Speedos to his victim while calling him a “beautiful boy”.

A creepy former TAFE teacher who stalked a teenage IGA worker and sent pictures of himself in Speedos to his victim has escaped jail.

Peter Martin Guest, 59, was on Friday sentenced to 12 months’ prison to be served in the community after he pleaded guilty to stalking a 19-year-old IGA worker between July 30 and September 1, 2020.

Maroochydore District Court heard Guest’s pursuit involved badgering the teenager while he worked, repeatedly calling him “beautiful boy”.

Peter Martin Guest leaving Maroochydore District Court after being sentenced for stalking a 19-year-old boy.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks said for four weeks the man would pester his victim 12 times at IGA or on Facebook.

He would loiter in the car park and in the store while making sexually inappropriate comments towards the victim.

Guest also sent two disgusting pictures of himself in Speedos and asked if the teenager would like to join him for drinks.

The court heard the victim had to change his work schedule to avoid Guest until he was eventually banned from the store in early September.

Ms Marks said he was arrested on October 23 and charged with preying on the “young teen boy”.

She labelled his stalking as “disturbing” and said it showed Guest had a predilection for targeting young teenage boys.

Guest had been previously jailed for 15 months in 2013 after he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old boy in Rockhampton.

Barrister Mark McCarthy said Guest had no ongoing reporting obligations and suggested he served a 12 month prison sentence in the community under an intensive correction order.

Mr McCarthy said the victim was considered an adult and not a young teenager.

Judge Gary Long said Guest’s “concerning” offending showed a lack of insight into the impact on the victim.

“The seriousness is in the repetition of persistence in the pursuit of your unrequited sexual attraction to a considerably younger person,” he said.

Mr Long said the offending was over a limited time and didn’t involve threats or malicious behaviour.

Mr Long said an intensive correction order that would support the 59-year-old’s rehabilitation with ongoing supervision would protect the community from future offending.

“You have the capacity, I'm sure to learn the message that you must avoid this sort of behaviour in the future,” he said.

A five year restraining order, banning Guest from contacting the 19-year-old victim was also put in place.