Dubbo paedophile sentenced for indecently assaulting child

A paedophile who offered a child a massage and to watch movies with told police he was “turned on” by the interactions.

The distraught family of a victim who suffered for years at the hands of a vile paedophile have wept in court as a magistrate allowed the man to walk free.

After pleading guilty to four counts of indecent assaulting a child and one count of intentionally sexually touching a child between 10 and 16, the 34-year-old man was handed two community corrections orders and AVO for life.

A man leaves Dubbo Local Court after being sentenced for indecently assaulting a child. Picture: Ryan Young

Dubbo Local Court magistrate Brian van Zuylen attached two conditions to the orders, one of which prevents the man from being alone in the company of any person under 16 for three years and the other which bans him from using drugs.

According to court documents, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, first assaulted the child when they were aged five or six, sometime between 2009 and 2011.

“When you used to go to bingo on Wednesday nights when I had the kids I used to give (the victim) horsey rides on my lap until I got an erection,” the man confessed to the child’s parent.

“I’d put (the victim) down and go into the bedroom and masturbate.”

Court documents state the child’s parent was angry and upset about what the man confessed, “however over time began to trust the offender again”.

Between January and November 2018 the man targeted the child again and asked if they wanted a massage.

The man moved his hands down the child’s back and removed pyjama pants so underwear could be seen.

According to court documents the man squeezed the child’s bottom and took a photo using his mobile phone.

The man appeared in Dubbo Local Court. Picture: Jedd Manning

The photo was immediately deleted after the man went to another bedroom to masturbate.

On another occasion the man unzipped the child’s onesie and rubbed the child on the stomach.

He was arrested in 2019 and told police he was “turned on” by the child.

In cour, defence lawyer Ivy Johnson said the man was remorseful and accepted the emotional damage and distress he caused the child.

Crown prosecutor John Gibson said the man’s crimes had a “significant psychological impact” on the victim.

“This is an offence that absolutely deserves a custodial sentence,” he said, citing the repeated acts of child exploitation committed by the man over an ongoing period of time.

The man was arrested by police in 2019. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

Magistrate van Zuylen said the man was entitled to a 25 per cent sentencing discount because he pleaded guilty early.

“You’re a man with no criminal record,” he said.

“There’s reports here to say you’ve got schizoaffective disorder.”

The man was legally blind, suffered from diabetes and had been admitted to hospital for self-harm, magistrate van Zuylen told the court.

“You’ve never sought to avoid responsibility for your actions,” he said.

“The court has also looked at statistics for similar sorts of cases.”

Magistrate van Zuylen said between 50 and 60 per cent of people go to jail for similar crimes and the rest get community corrections orders.

The man was convicted and placed on one community corrections order for three years which requires him to be supervised by Community Corrections staff, along with another community corrections order for one year.

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