Stephen Michael Reil, 58, of Bethania jailed for sexually assaulting young girl

A southeast Queensland man in his late 50s has been jailed after he sexually assaulted a vulnerable young girl three times in a day, then confessed to his wife and begged her not to tell police.

A Logan man aged in his late fifties has been jailed for sexually abusing an eight-year-old girl three times in the space of a day by licking her vagina.

Bethania man Stephen Michael Reil, 58, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Thursday to three counts of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 12.

The court heard the offences all occurred in a single day sometime between January 1 and April 14 in 2020 at an address in Carseldine.

Reil’s offending came to light when he confessed his disturbing sins to his wife, but then begged her not to report them to police, which she nevertheless did.

Bethania man Stephen Michael Reil, 58. Picture: Facebook

Defence counsel James Feely told the court his client felt a “significant sense of guilt” which is why he told his wife what he’d done.

He described Reil as “previously of good character”, noting he was a volunteer for decades with St John Ambulance, Rotary, and also helped out at a variety of football and soccer clubs.

Mr Feely described the assaults as “opportunistic”, non-penetrative and not proceeded by grooming.

Judge Paul Smith said the offending was too serious for Reil to remain in the community.

He sentenced him to serve the entirety of a three-month sentence behind bars, and placed him on two years’ probation.