Burlesque star’s son Jake Versteeg faces jail over rape of woman
A son of one of the country’s top burlesque dancers is facing a stint in jail after he raped a woman in his mother’s house. The case has torn a rift in the Australian dancing community.
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The rapist son of a top Australian burlesque performer is facing down the prospect of a long stint in jail, after a judge rejected his account of a sex attack as being only “momentary”.
Jake Elias Versteeg, 30, the son of acclaimed Canberra burlesque performer Gianna “Possum Galore” Bagnara, faced the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday where Justice John Burns rejected the claim that his rape of a woman was momentary and involved him barely penetrating her.
The court had previously heard Versteeg had become obsessed with the woman, with his own barrister describing him as a “love sick puppy”.
Versteeg’s previously large band of supporters had on Wednesday withered to just two — Ms Bagnara and another elderly woman — who sat in the public gallery loudly discussing the lack of media ethics of outlets covering Versteeg’s case.
The rape took place in Versteeg’s downstairs room at the Waramanga home he shares with his parents.
Versteeg was set to contest the allegations against him but pleaded guilty to rape and indecency on the eve of the trial.
He then tried to downplay his conduct, requiring his victim to give detailed account of the night, which he challenged.
Justice Burns largely accepted the victim’s account, saying he was satisfied Versteeg pulled the woman’s pants down against her will and raped her, “continuing to thrust” despite her protesting the she did not want to have sex with him.
Justice Burns said he was satisfied the rape “was for a longer period” than Versteeg claimed.
He found the attack only stopped when the victim bit Versteeg on the shoulder.
He could not find, beyond a reasonable doubt, precisely how long the attack lasted.
Versteeg, a labourer, remains on bail, and is now facing the prospect of a long stint behind bars.
Crown Prosecutor Rebecca Christiansen told the court on Wednesday she would not oppose Versteeg being assessed for an intensive corrections order, but said she would argue “that nothing less than full time imprisonment will be warranted”.
Versteeg returns to court for sentencing in September.