Father accused of molesting 12yo boy at sleepover

A Toowoomba region father has been accused of molestation after a young boy allegedly woke up to the naked man at a sleepover.

A Pittsworth father has been accused of molesting his son’s friend at a sleepover. Picture: File

A court has heard alleged details of every parent’s worst nightmare after a man was accused of molesting his son’s friend at a sleepover.

A Toowoomba region father pleaded not guilty to indecent treatment of a child under 16 while in his care before Toowoomba District Court on Friday after he was accused of sexual misconduct with a 12-year-old boy.

His identity cannot be revealed in order to protect the identity of his alleged victim.

In her opening statement to the jury, crown prosecutor Perian Cardiff alleged the young boy was invited to the home of the man’s mother for a sleepover on September 13, 2019 with the accused’s son.

“You’ll hear that it started out like a pretty standard sleepover involving two 12-year-old boys: they had some dinner, (they) found some boxing gloves and had a play spar, later, when they got tired, they went into the lounge room and put on the movie Rocky,” she said to the jury.

She told the court the two young boys were friends and the alleged victim saw the man as a trusted adult.

“It wasn’t the first time he had a sleepover with (the family),” she claimed.

Ms Cardiff claimed the child texted his mother in a panic a little after midnight, asking her to come get him.

“’Mum I need to get out of here … I need to leave’; those are the messages that the 12-year-old (boy) sent to his mum at 1.38am in the morning,” she said.

Ms Cardiff claimed, after arriving home, the boy then texted his mum about the alleged abuse.

“When his mum arrived to pick him up a few minutes later, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her what had happened … when he was safely back at home with his mum he sent her a text message,” she alleged.

The text message, shown to the court, described how the man allegedly moved his leg over the young boy while naked, pretending to be asleep.

“The defendant, was supposed to sleep in the grandmother’s bedroom and the boys were supposed to sleep on a mattress in the lounge room,” Ms Cardiff argued.

“As (the boy) was falling asleep he saw (the man) come into the room … his friend was near him on the mattress at the time and (the alleged victim) saw (the man) lay down on the couch before (he) fell asleep,” she claimed.

The court heard the man had allegedly pressed up against his leg with his genitalia before the boy leapt up and, shortly after, asked to leave.

The boy’s mother and stepfather testified that the boy was withdrawn after leaving the man’s care and broke into tears when he arrived home.

Ms Cardiff also told the jury they would hear evidence of the boy sharing details of the experience with an unrelated friend, stating he was “scared” and “didn’t know what to do”.

The defence chose not to present an opening statement to the jury before witness evidence commenced.

The trial will continue on Monday March 3, 2025.

Originally published as Father accused of molesting 12yo boy at sleepover