Isaac Andrew Ohlson: Ex- Surf Life Saving member sentenced on grooming and stalking charges

“You didn’t destroy me”: A teen stalking victim survivor has issued a powerful statement to a former surf life saving patrol group captain who pleaded guilty to grooming and stalking charges. FULL STORY

Isaac Andrew Ohlson , 29, pleaded guilty to grooming and stalking. Picture: Emily Walker

A former Gold Coast surf life saving patrol captain has been sentenced for grooming and stalking two young girls.

Isaac Andrew Ohlson, 29, pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday to unlawful stalking and grooming a child as a carer of a child under 16 years – facilitate procurement of child to engage in sexual act.

The court heard Ohlson stalked a teenage girl beginning in 2020.

Ohlson, who was aged between 24 and 25 at the time, would tell the girl her boyfriends would treat her badly, said he would assault the boys if they treated her badly, bought her chocolate as a gift, sent flowers on her birthday and messaged her on Instagram asking if she had a new boyfriend.

Ohlson pictured leaving the Southport Courthouse after the sentence. Picture: Emily Walker

In a victim impact statement read out in court, the young girl said she felt completely isolated.

“I thought I could trust an adult, especially one who worked in a training environment with children,” she said. “I was sorely mistaken.”

She recalled an incident in what she felt like was an attempt to intimidate her.

“Isaac, you took advantage of my trust and vulnerability,” she said in her statement. “You knew exactly what you were doing.”

In her statement, the girl told Ohlson he did not have power over her anymore.

“You didn’t destroy me,” she said. “I am here, I am healing and I will never be silent again.”

The court heard Ohlson (pictured) stalked a teenage girl. Picture: Emily Walker

Olson also faced court for one grooming charge against another teenage girl.

The court heard the girl was talking with a friend about her then girlfriend when Ohlson said he heard she had a girlfriend and asked “Do you want to have a threesome? I bet you have a crush on me.”

The child, who felt uncomfortable and did not answer him, later disclosed the incident to a teacher in January, 2023.

In a July 2024 interview with police, Ohlson denied asking for a threesome and said he would never make a comment like that to an underage girl.

Prosecutor Rodney Keyte told the court there was no pre-sentence report to suggest if Ohlson was at risk of reoffending or if he had received therapy.

He submitted Ohlson receive nothing less than a suspended term of imprisonment or an Intensive Correction Order.

Defence lawyer Sarah Churches-Kennedy from Donnelly Law Group said a period of probation would be appropriate and asked a conviction not be recorded given Ohlson’s lack of a criminal history, his age, and the social and economic effects recording would have.

She said Ohlson hopes to get his blue card back and return to community service work in the future.

The court heard he was willing to pay compensation to the two victim survivors.

Ohlson pictured when he was a surf life saving club member. Picture: Facebook

Magistrate Veena Goverdhan said appalling did not properly describe Ohlson’s behaviour.

“The other words I can use are disgusting, hideous, obscene,” she said.

He was sentenced to a two year probation order with no conviction recorded.

Ms Goverdhan said she was reluctantly placing him on probation but said he needed an independent assessment of his behaviour.

He was ordered to pay compensation within three months to both victim survivors.

A restraining order from both victim survivors against Ohlson was also granted.

Originally published as Isaac Andrew Ohlson: Ex- Surf Life Saving member sentenced on grooming and stalking charges