Redlands man, 28, jailed for abusing four-year-old girl while babysitting in Logan

A Redlands man given the responsibility of babysitting his friend’s four-year-old has been jailed for sexually abusing the girl at her mother’s Logan home.

A Redlands babysitter was jailed at Beenleigh District Court for indecent treatment

A Redlands man given the responsibility of babysitting his friend’s four-year-old has been jailed for sexually abusing the girl at her mother’s Logan home.

The 28-year-old man, who cannot be named, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh District Court on Tuesday, August 22, to three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12.

The court heard that in early 2021 in Edens Landing, he was babysitting his friend’s four-year-old daughter at her Logan home.

At one point the girl went into her room and the man followed her.

He asked the victim to touch his penis.

She refused, telling him to get out but he became angry, shouted at her and made her touch him.

The court heard he later touched her genitalia and bottom before they had dinner. He stayed over that night.

The next day the victim told her mother about the incident and the man was contacted by police.

He initially denied any involvement and then said the four-year-old girl asked him to touch her.

In a victim impact statement tendered to the court by the victim’s mother, she said she had lost trust in men and blamed herself for the abuse.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke said the age of the victim and physical nature of the abuse were aggravating features.

“It involved skin on skin contact and the very young age of the victim is important to highlight too,” she said.

“He was entrusted to look after the child, abused that trust and deliberately isolated her in her room.”

The court heard the defendant had no criminal history. He had worked at a hardware store and had other manual labour jobs.

He was raised in Caboolture and moved to the Redlands as a teen.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said the behaviour was disgraceful.

“You betrayed the trust of the victim and her mother. It was disgusting, appalling and a criminal offence,” he said.

“There is a major concern in our society about this type of offending. It causes significant damage to victims and their families.”

He was sentenced to 18 months’ prison, wholly suspended after five months.

Once released he will be placed on a probation order for the remainder of his sentence.