Perth photographer Brad Spencer pleads guilty to sexual penetration of a child while in Wimmera
A sex fiend violated a young boy multiple times before shifting to Perth for a new life as a stay-at-home dad.
Ballarat
Don't miss out on the headlines from Ballarat. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A stay-at-home Perth dad has been told to come back to Victoria and “bring his toothbrush” after he admitted sexually penetrating a young boy.
Brad Spencer, 28, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Friday to multiple counts of sexual penetration and indecent acts with a child under 16.
Spencer commenced offending when his victim was aged 10, the court heard.
He kicked off his lewd conduct by telling the boy he wanted to play a game of “truth or dare”.
Spencer, who violated and sexually penetrated the child multiple times, “bent the boy over every chance he could”, the court was told.
Spencer also showed the boy how to masturbate and made the victim perform lewd acts.
The court was told the boy “complied” because he was “ashamed”.
Spencer treated his victim as an “object” for his “sexual gratification”, the court heard.
The offending ended when Spencer moved to Perth.
Spencer, who was interviewed in Western Australia in 2018, admitted to police he committed lewd acts with the boy.
Spencer, who sobbed and looked visibly distressed throughout the hearing, told police he “felt embarrassed” but “never felt shame until now”.
He claimed he didn’t remember penetrating his victim.
The victim and the victim’s mother read their victim impact statements to the court.
The victim’s mother told the court she thought she had “failed as a mother”.
“Our family fell apart … I was terrified he was going to take his own life,” she said.
The court heard Spencer is a photographer and stay-at-home dad who lives with his partner in Perth suburb Hammond Park.
The defence submitted Spencer should get a suspended jail sentence but the prosecution submitted he should serve an immediate prison term.
Judge Damian Murphy said he “needed to think about some of these things”.
“I’m minded to ask he come to Victoria,” Judge Murphy said.
“He’ll need to bring his toothbrush … just in case.”
Spencer, who appeared via videolink from WA, will be sentenced on July 5.