Step-grandfather pleads guilty to indecently assaulting young boys

A man has admitted to assaulting his two step-grandchildren, one twice during school holidays at a home in the Illawarra region.

A man in his seventies has pleaded guilty to assaulting two young boys.

A step-grandfather revealed to police he had assaulted another young boy when they interviewed him over allegations he had molested a child.

The man in his seventies, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fronted Moss Vale Local Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to three counts of indecently assaulting a person under 16 years.

According to court documents, the first victim, who was under 10 and his step-grandchild, was assaulted twice during the same school holiday at a home in Wollongong sometime between 2016 and 2017.

The young boy was sitting on the older man’s lap when the man put his hand under the victim’s shorts and underpants and pulled his penis in an up and down motion.

The victim hit the man’s hand and said “no”, but he continued and said “it’s fine”.

Later that same school holidays, the man “fiddled” with the victim’s penis when he was sitting on his lap.

The victim reported the incidents to police on January 25, 2022, and the man was arrested in the Southern Highlands in November.

He told police “I did it, I’m guilty, I want it to end”.

During an interview at the police station, the man told officers he “felt slightly aroused and got a half erection” and the victim said ”stop it and that he didn’t like it”.

Then he revealed to police he assaulted another young boy who was under 11 and also his step-grandchild. He told officers the second victim was sitting in his lap and told him to “stop it”.

The matter will return to Moss Vale Local Court next month for sentence.