Elderly man who molested granddaughters avoids jail

An elderly western Sydney man who admitted to molesting two of his granddaughters has been sentenced for his crimes.

An elderly Seven Hills man walked from Penrith courthouse a free man after being sentenced for molesting his two granddaughters.

A grandfather who admitted to molesting two of his young granddaughters in western Sydney has walked free from court after avoiding a jail sentence.

The Seven Hills man in his 70s, who can’t be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent assault and one count of intentionally carry out a sexual act with a person under the age of 10.

According to police facts, the man assaulted his first victim over a period of three years at her home.

In one incident described by the agreed facts, the man was reading to his granddaughter in her loungeroom when her hand accidentally touched his penis.

The man first attempted to move her hand away, but then put his hand on top of hers and held it against his penis while rubbing her leg.

The elderly man, who can’t be named for legal reasons, confessed to his crimes at Blacktown police station after being caught by his wife.

In another incident, the man and his granddaughter were in a spa bath when he put her hand underneath the leg of his boardshorts.

He then removed his penis from his Speedos and made her touch it for a couple of seconds.

According to the facts, the man was caught in an inappropriate moment with another granddaughter by his wife in January this year.

The man and his granddaughter were playing ‘doctors’ in a cubby house and using a fake, plastic needle to “inject” each other in the arms and legs.

He eventually used the needle to “inject” her in the buttock beside her underwear, and was caught by his wife using the fake needle on her bare buttocks.

He later made a full confession at Blacktown police station.

The man molested two of his grandchildren over a four-year period in Sydney’s west. Picture: Generic

During his sentence at Penrith District Court this week, Judge Mark Buscombe found there was a causal connection between a frontal lobe injury suffered by the man and his offending behaviour.

He said he heard evidence the man’s behaviour became more socially inappropriate in the months before his diagnosis.

“He was a self-described “naughty boy” who would put ice down his grandchildren’s pants,” Judge Buscombe said.

“He would redo jobs around the home after they were already done, and he gave unwanted hugs to people without understanding why it was inappropriate.”

Judge Buscombe found the man’s frontal-lobe issue “prevented him from controlling his behaviour in an appropriate manner”.

He also found the man had a low risk of reoffending and an “excellent” prospect of rehabilitation as his injury was now healed.

The man was sentenced to a three-year community corrections order. He must not be in the company of any child under the age of 16 unless within 10 metres of his wife, and must complete 200 hours of community service.