Southern Queensland man in his 60s found guilty of maintaining a sexual relation with a child, sexual assault

A heinous sexual deviant sentenced for abusing a young girl ‘so many times she couldn’t provide details’ has been sentenced. Here’s what happened after he was found guilty. Warning: Distressing.

A man in his 60s has been found guilty for two sex crimes. November 7 2024.

A heinous deviant has been jailed after his vile offending came to light, with the jury who decided his verdict sitting in the public gallery after deliberations to watch his sentencing.

The Darling Downs man - who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the victim - was found guilty of two sexual offences after short deliberations by the jury in Warwick District Court.

The man in his 60s was found guilty of two offences, maintaining a sexual relationship with a child between 2008 and 2012, and the sexual assault of the same victim at a date unknown between March 2016 and April 2017.

From the ages of 12 to 16, the fiend assaulted the young girl when she was most vulnerable, Crown prosecutor Catherine Birkett said during her opening remarks earlier in the week.

The court was told the offending started as groping when the victim was at school in year 7, and began escalating when the victim moved to a farm at Texas, in Queensland, when the offender had easier access to her.

When the girl’s mother was away or at work, he would strike “regularly”.

“It happened so many times she can’t tell you the details of each incident,” Ms Birkett said.

The offending continued even when the victim was an adult. On one occasion, the jury was told the man tried to commit his grubby acts on the victim at a hotel in southern Queensland, telling her “I knew you always wanted this”.

A man in his 60s has been found guilty for two sex crimes. November 7, 2024.

Throughout the two separate periods of offending, the man was aged in his 40s and 50s. The man initially pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, November 5, but was found guilty by a jury on Thursday, after only 45 minutes of deliberation.

Members of the jury returned to the public gallery to watch the sentencing, with one remarking they needed “closure” after sitting through the disturbing details.

The former farmer and rail worker had his head in his hands and sobbed as the jury returned the verdict, and when asked if sentence should not be passed on him he said “it’s not right”.

Judge Craig Chowdhury told the man he had used his position of trust and respect and taken advantage of it in order to offend against the girl.

“The offending began when (the victim) was in year 7, and began with low level comments and squeezing of the breasts, which became a regular occurrence,” Judge Chowdhury said.

“In grade 8, the offending escalated when you began digitally penetrating her regularly until she was 16.”

The man hugging a supporter before being found guilty and jailed for seven years on November 7, 2024.

Judge Chowdhury detailed the offending which made up the second charge - sexual assault occurred around 2016 or 2017 at Inglewood.

“She had invited you up to her room to show you she was self sufficient and she was excited,” the judge said.

“You kissed her and sucked on her breast and began to rub her genitalia.

“It is obvious from how (the victim) gave evidence how badly affected she was from your offending.

“Sexual offending against children needs to be stamped out as it causes widespread damage.”

The man was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, and will be eligible for parole after serving half of the sentence.

One of the man’s supporters in the gallery immediately stormed off sobbing as the sentence was handed down.

Originally published as Southern Queensland man in his 60s found guilty of maintaining a sexual relation with a child, sexual assault