A Sunshine Coast man accused of raping two of his stepdaughters allegedly said they ‘had sex hundreds of times’

A trial has started for a Mooloolaba man who allegedly raped his teenage stepdaughters “hundreds of times”.

A trial has begun in Maroochydore District Court for a man charged with raping two of his stepdaughters. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A Sunshine Coast man charged with raping two of his teenage stepdaughters allegedly claimed he was teaching them about their sexuality, a jury has heard.

The 58-year-old man, who cannot be identified to protect the alleged victims, pleaded not guilty on Monday to 27 offences including 18 counts of rape and two counts of maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child under 16 who was in his care.

It was alleged the man started offending against his oldest stepdaughter in 2013 when she was in Year 7 and aged 11 and 12.

The court heard the man allegedly claimed to have “fallen in love” with the teenager and that he “forgot about age”.

The man allegedly began abusing the girl’s younger sister in 2015, when she was also in Year 7 and aged 12.

The alleged abuse against the girls continued for several years at locations across Queensland including in Mooloolaba, Noosa North Shore, Manly and Yeppoon, the Maroochydore District Court heard.

In his opening statement, Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said the prosecution would be relying on recorded phone calls between the sisters and their stepfather, in which he allegedly admitted to having sexual relationships with the teenagers.

Mr Stark said until February 2020 the two girls, another sister, their mother and stepfather appeared to be a “family of achievement and happiness”.

“(However) the family hid a secret that was far less happy, or more precisely the defendant hid that secret within the family,” Mr Stark said.

After an argument with her stepfather in early 2020, the younger sister confided in a male friend about the alleged sexual abuse and later told her mother.

Mr Stark said the eldest sister participated in a phone call with her stepfather in April last year, which unknown to the man was recorded by police.

During their conversation the man allegedly said “You have no idea how fast my heart is racing right now”.

Mr Stark alleged that when his stepdaughter brought up their sexual relationship he interrupted her and said “We had sex hundreds of times”.

“What have you told anyone?” he allegedly asked her.

Later in the conversation the man allegedly said he wanted to stay in her life.

“I think there’s a lot more to our family than what’s come out with you, (your sister) and I,” he allegedly said.

“I actually put it down to sort of teaching you about your own sexuality.

“I absolutely adored you as a young girl … I actually fell in love with you … I completely forgot about your age.”

When the stepdaughter asked whether he had groomed her, the man allegedly said “My feelings were 100 per cent real, there was no grooming”.

Later that month, a second phone call was recorded between the man and his younger stepdaughter.

Mr Stark said the man allegedly denied having sexual intercourse with the girl’s older sister but said they did “sexual stuff”.

Mr Stark alleged that when the girl mentioned one of the sexual offences the stepfather said “I don’t think that was me entirely instigating (it)”.

“I think you’re missing the point, the only thing I need to say is you were the adult,” the alleged victim said.

Mr Stark said the man groomed and “emotionally manipulated” his stepdaughters, who felt that they had “no choice” and could not refuse him without consequences.

The trial will continue on Tuesday with the sisters expected to give evidence before a closed court.

Mr Stark said the two alleged victims would tell the jury the “truth of what he did with them and what he did to them”.

Their mother, another sister, a friend of one of the alleged victims and three police officers are also due to give evidence.

The trial is expected to last at least a week.