Troy Johnson: Central Coast ghillie suit rapist in bid for early freedom

A Central Coast rapist who donned a ghillie suit and dragged a schoolgirl into bushland, subjecting her to a nightmare ordeal, is vying to get out of jail early claiming his family have been left without a bread winner.

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The lawyer for a Central Coast rapist who donned camouflage before dragging a young girl into bushland and sexually assaulting her on the way to school has described the sex offender as a committed family man, a court has heard.

Troy Johnson, from Woongarrah, is appealing a 28-year jail term handed down in the District Court last year after he pleaded guilty to a sickening attack that he later bragged about to a friend.

The paedophile pig hunter’s lawyers claim the prison stint he is to serve, which includes a 21-year non parole period, is manifestly excessive in comparison to similar cases.

Johnson was sentenced to at least 21 years behind bars in 2019.

Their key argument to earning Johnson an early release are the claims it would be unfair to deny his family their income earner until he is in his 50s.

“This is a man who is relatively young, what could be said positively is he’d been a breadwinner for his family,” defence barrister Sue Kluss told the Supreme Court of Appeal on Monday.

“It would deprive him of a relationship with his family until he is well into his fifties.”

Johnson was convicted of planning an attack on a young girl for weeks before subjecting her to a horrific ordeal that played out in Narara bushland over an hour.

Police had circulated these images prior to his arrest.

The graphic details of the incident have been suppressed by the courts to avoid causing the victim and further distress.

He told a friend at the time he had found a “good spot because there are lots of school girls walking past”.

“Dude, you will never guess what I just did, I (abducted) a schoolgirl and (assaulted her),” his text read.

Police had eventually linked a ghillie suit to Johnson before charging him and unmasking his double life as a child predator.

Johnson is also appealing on the basis the sentencing judge did not take into account his good character prior to the horrifying attack before he was sent to jail.

The Crown, however, told the court Johnson’s actions had already caused the victim “significant harm” in fighting to keep him in jail.

The three Supreme Court Justices hearing his appeal will hand down their decision at a later date.

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