Troy John Pyle found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl

A jury has delivered their verdict in the case of a man accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl.

Troy John Pyle leaves Geelong court.

A jury has found a Lara man, who was “infatuated” with a teenage girl he sent 159 pages worth of texts, guilty of a number of sexual offences.

Troy John Pyle, 44, was found guilty on Friday evening on eight charges, including seven counts of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16 by touch, and one count of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16.

The jury heard evidence from the prosecution and defence outlining their cases, and delivered a guilty verdict after deliberating for two days.

Pyle was dressed in casual attire throughout the duration of the trial and was supported by family who heard the shocking case against the man who molested a 14-year-old girl.

The offences took place between February 2019 and August 2019.

Crown prosecutor Yildana Hardjadibrata told the court Pyle had touched the complainant’s hips and buttocks, both above and beneath her underwear, kissing her on the lips using his tongue and, on one occasion, penetrating her using his fingers.

The court had heard that the offences had left the victim “frozen” and that Pyle groomed the victim, and was able to act in a “particularly brazen manner” because he had “gained her trust and emotional dependence”.

Mr Hardjadibrata told the jury that, in addition to the offences he was charged with, Mr Pyle communicated with the complainant in an inappropriate manner, and displayed inappropriate behaviour towards her, from June 2018.

Troy John Pyle leaves Geelong Court.

This showed that Mr Pyle had an “improper sexual interest” in the complainant, and “demonstrated his willingness to act on that sexual interest”, Mr Hardjadibrata told the jury.

The court heard Mr Pyle also began referring to the complainant in ways such as “baby girl” within two months of meeting her.

In the messages, Mr Pyle allegedly greeted the complainant with “hello beautiful” on multiple occasions, and asked if she “missed” him yet.

Mr Hardjadibrata told the jury that the complainant initially disclosed the alleged incidents to a friend in late 2019, and first went to the police in May 2021.

He told the court the complainant was a truthful and reliable witness who gave “detailed and vivid accounts” and was consistent in her complaints about Pyle’s behaviour.

Mr Pyle’s defence lawyer, Paul Stefanovic, told the jury the prosecution’s case got “nowhere near” proving the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt, and said none of the alleged offences happened.

The complainant was a “troubled teenager”, Mr Stefanovic said, who “sat” on the allegations for two years and might have had motive to lie, while his client was a good man who would have “taken an enormous risk”.

Pyle was remanded into custody after the jury delivered their verdict and he will next appear in court on August 2 for a plea hearing.

Originally published as Troy John Pyle found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage girl