Juan Pablo Laureano Rojas, 29 of Wollstonecraft, sentenced for sexually touching girl outside Macca’s at the Mall
A man, 29, convicted of sexually touching a 12-year-old girl as she queued up for fast food at a crowded shopping mall, has been sentenced in a Sydney court.
Manly
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A man who sexually groped a 12-year-old girl as she queued for fast food at a busy shopping centre has avoided jail when he was sentenced in a Sydney court.
Juan Pablo Laureano Rojas, 29, pleaded guilty to sexually touching the girl on the bottom near the McDonald’s counter in Warringah Mall at Brookvale late last year.
Rojas, of Wollstonecraft, faced a potential jail term of two years when he fronted Manly Local Court on Wednesday.
The police prosecutor asked Magistrate Michelle Goodwin to jail Rojas due to the “extremely high’ seriousness of the indecent assault that involved a “vulnerable” member of the community.
Rojas’ solicitor, Daniel Karooz, told the court that his client had acknowledged that his actions were “wrong and inappropriate” and he took full responsibility for the offence.
Mr Karooz said that since he was charged with one count of intentionally sexually touch a child (aged more than 10 and less than 16 years), Rojas had been having psychological treatment for what was described as his “inexplicable” behaviour.
The court had heard that the victim was waiting in line with two friends when groped by Rojas.
But the court was also told that security camera footage from the mall showed that Rojas also touched another three “young females” in the same 26-minute period at Sunday lunchtime on November 28.
The identities of those three girls are not known to police and Rojas did not know any of the girls, the court heard.
In a facts sheet tendered to court police alleged that the young victim was using the McDonald’s self-serve ordering kiosks in the food hall at 12.57pm.
“(Rojas) walked through the crowd of customers awaiting service at McDonald’s, approaching the victim whose back was turned from the accused,” police stated.
“The accused walked past the victim in proximity and reached out with his left hand, touching the bottom of the victim.
“The victim felt this touch and turned around in the direction of the accused as he walked away.”
A person who saw the incident contacted Warringah Mall security officers.
In the facts sheet, police stated that security officers were able to locate Rojas on CCTV and track him as he moved through the shopping centre until police arrived at 1.54pm.
When questioned in the mall’s security office he denied touching the girl.
“At a later date police obtained CCTV footage of the accused’s movements through the mall and identified (Rojas) commit similar acts to three other young females among the crowd at McDonald’s,” police stated.
“The accused was at the food court for 26 minutes.
“He walks through the crowd of customers at McDonald’s numerous times. During this time he did not attempt to order any food. He does not enter any retail stores.”
Magistrate Goodwin told Rojas: “I don’t need to tell you how serious this offending is”.
Ms Goodwin said she would not be sending Rojas to jail, but she told him that his “inexplicable behaviour” needed to be “denounced”.
Rojas was convicted and placed on a Community Corrections Order, to be of good behaviour for two years. He must also complete 200 hours of community service.
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