Trial begins in Warwick District Court for man accused of sexually abusing daughter, stepdaughter

A man has pleaded not guilty to several charges of sexually assaulting his daughter and stepdaughter, with the alleged offending beginning when the girls were as young as eight and four.

A trial is under way in a Warwick court for a man accused of sexually abusing his daughter and stepdaughter while both girls were in his care, with one of the children as young as four years old when the alleged offending began.

The 58-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces three counts each of indecent treatment of a child under 12 while in care and indecent treatment of a child under 12 who was a lineal descendant.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges at the beginning of proceedings in the Warwick District Court this week.

Crown prosecutor Hamish McIntyre said it would be alleged that the man sexually abused the girls on several separate occasions.

IN COURT: A man is facing trial in Warwick District Court on six charges of sexually abusing his daughter and stepdaughter. Photo: iStock

He said the man allegedly inappropriately touched his stepdaughter on several occasions while in a relationship with the girl’s mother, including telling the girl she could only watch TV if she kissed the man and touching her genitalia after taking her to her mother’s bed.

“He said it would be their secret, and indeed she kept that secret for quite a while,” he said.

Mr McIntyre told the court the girl claimed her stepfather had sexually abused her as many as eight to 12 times while she was in his care, including an alleged incident in a car in January last year, where the man reached around into the back from the passenger seat and again touched the girl’s genitalia.

The Warwick court heard the man’s alleged offending against his biological daughter began in the same time period, starting when the girl was only four or five years old.

Mr McIntyre said the man allegedly kissed the girl on two separate occasions, including one reported incident in which the man took off the girl’s clothes while looking after her when her mother was in hospital.

He said it would be alleged the man also tried to touch the girl’s genitalia when she was the first member of their family back in the car after a toilet break during a road trip.

The alleged offending came to light at the beginning of 2021 when the older girl reported what had happened to her mother, who soon found out about both sets of allegations and went to police.

The jury, made up of six men and six women, will hear evidence from both alleged victims along with the girls’ mother and several police officers involved in the investigation.

Phone calls between the man and the girls’ mother and his stepdaughter discussing the alleged offending will also be played to the court.

The trial will continue in court this week.