Stephen Grimmer: Older brother of murdered toddler Cheryl Grimmer jailed after molesting teen girl
The older brother of murdered toddler Cheryl Grimmer has been sentenced after molesting a vulnerable teen girl at a holiday park.
Illawarra Star
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The older brother of murdered toddler Cheryl Grimmer has been jailed for at least two years after molesting a teenage girl on several occasions at a South Coast holiday park in 2016.
Stephen Vincent Grimmer, 55, entered eleventh hour guilty pleas to three charges of indecent assault last year, which stemmed from allegations he inappropriately touched and kissed a 14-year-old at a Sussex Inlet Holiday Park in 2016.
On Friday, NSW District Court Judge Richard Weinstein sentenced the 55-year-old to three years and two months behind bars, with a non-parole period of two years, noting Grimmer had breached his position of trust by assaulting the vulnerable victim who looked at him as a “father figure”.
In handing down his sentence, Judge Weinstein noted due to media attention surrounding his sister’s disappearance and suspected murder, Grimmer would be particularly vulnerable in jail.
A psychiatrist report tendered to the court highlighted that Grimmer had attempted self harm and had suicidal thoughts following his charges, but failed to understand his crimes would leave a lasting impact on the teen girl.
The court heard Grimmer had befriended the girl and her family while holidaying at the popular caravan park several years ago. But, his behaviour toward the girl changed in the 2015 Christmas holidays, with the teen telling police the then 53-year-old started acting “stupid” with her.
Court documents say that during that holiday, Grimmer began isolating the girl from other children at the park so they could spend time together, at one point telling her, “I wish I was your age”.
When the girl returned to the park during the Easter and October holidays the following year, Grimmer assaulted her several times, at one point telling her not to tell anyone or he “would get into a lot of trouble”.
On one occasion between April 8 and April 25, Grimmer took the girl out on his boat, and when they were a considerable way from shore, claimed the boat had broken down and they were stuck.
During the three hour-wait out on the water, Grimmer allegedly tried to “force himself” on the girl and kissed her on the lips several times. The young girl repeatedly tried to tell Grimmer to stop, before he told her not to tell anyone.
Later that year, during the September school holidays, Grimmer returned to the caravan park where the girl and her family were staying.
He again indecently assaulted her, this time inside her family’s van. Court documents say Grimmer again kissed the girl on the lips and put his hand under her shirt and touched her breasts.
After this assault, the young victim told one of her friends at the caravan park about Grimmer’s assaults, saying she “couldn’t handle it anymore”.
The 55-year-old was arrested in 2017 by detectives from the child abuse squad, after the incidents were reported to police.
Grimmer’s arrest came just one month after a Victorian man was extradited to NSW and charged with the murder of his little sister Cheryl, who disappeared from Fairy Meadow Beach near Wollongong in 1970.
The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions has since dropped all charges against the man, after a crucial piece of evidence was ruled out of his murder trial.
There is no suggestion Stephen Grimmer had anything to do with his sister’s disappearance or murder, he was just six years old at the time.
On Friday, Grimmer’s sister in law Linda tendered a letter to the court stating she could not support the 55-year-old in court due to the media coverage, but that he was a good person who should be released into the community.
“She believes he is not a threat to the community and has shown remorse,” Judge Weinstein said.
Grimmer, who is in custody at South Coast Correctional Centre, cried as the verdict was handed down, and shook his head multiple times throughout the sentencing hearing.
He will be eligible for release to parole in March 2022.