Keith Lance Ward pleaded guilty to rape, indecent dealing

A Maryborough man first drove a teenager who trusted him into bushland before assaulting her and forcing her to perform a sex act on him.

The court heard the teenager was staying with Ward and his family at the time of incident.

A man who drove a teenager into bushland before digitally raping her and forcing her to perform oral sex will spend the next year behind bars.

Keith Lance Ward, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of rape and one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 when he appeared before Maryborough District Court.

Ward picked the teenager up from her home and instead of going to his Granville home, he drove her into nearby bushland.

The girl, who Ward knew, asked him where they were going, the court heard.

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Ward pulled over in bushland and exposed himself to her, asked her to perform a sexual act on him and then when she looked away, pushed her head down to perform that act, the court was told.

At the same time, he began digitally raping her, the court heard.

Ward then told her she was his “little girlfriend”.

Another car approached and Ward stopped and drove them to his home.

He then went into the shed at some point and asked the victim to join him to help move some boxes.

She went into the shed and he put her hand on his crotch, the court heard.

He then removed his penis from his pants and used her hand to masturbate.

Ward stopped when he saw his son coming towards the shed and started pretending to move boxes, the court heard.

A few days later she told her mother about the offending.

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The court heard Ward was currently caring for his mother and he had a partner who continued to support him.

Ward shared a two-year-old daughter with his partner, the court heard.

He had been employed in various roles over the years, including working for the council, the court was told.

Judge Michael Burnett said Ward had been trusted by his young victim.

But he took into account that Ward was remorseful, did not seek to excuse his behaviour and accepted he did the wrong thing.

In her victim impact statement, the girl had spoken of being ashamed and embarrassed by the incident.

Ward was sentenced to three years in prison, to be suspended after 12 months with an operational period of four years.

He was placed on 18 months probation.