Scott Prato fronts court over sexual penetration of a boy

A pervert who showed a pre-teen boy porn magazine and video before sexually assaulting him told him to be quiet if he ever wanted to see his parents again.

Scott Prato sexually penetrated a boy on four occasions and told him to keep quiet if he wanted to see his parents again.

A Melbourne man who showed a child a pornographic magazine and video before sexually assaulting him told his victim to keep quiet if he wanted to see his parents again, a court has heard.

Scott Prato, 51, of Ballarat was found guilty by a jury in the County Court in April to seven charges of sexually penetrating a child under 16 between 1992 and 1995.

A summary of his depraved offending was read in court by Judge Pardeep Tiwana on Friday before Prato was jailed for seven years and eight months.

Judge Tiwana said the victim was a compelling witness at trial who appeared visibly distressed while recounting the horrific crime against him.

The judge said Prato made the victim bend over on the first two occasions, put a porn magazine in front of the boy and sexually assaulted him. On the fourth occasion, he said Prato played a porn video and repeated the sexual act on the boy.

Ballarat man Scott Prato has been sent to jail for historic sexual offending against a pre-teen boy.

The boy was crying, struggling and trying to pull away and told Prato it was hurting.

“You told him that if he told anyone about your offending you would be taken away from his parents and would never see them again,” Judge Tiwana said.

The boy complained to a friend in 2004 and went to police in July 2020.

Judge Tiwana said Prato’s offending has impacted many facets of the boy’s life, apart from him being unable to sleep and trust anyone.

“You took advantage of a particularly young and vulnerable child and abused him on many separate occasions over an extended period of time.

“You as an adult had no regard to his innocence or distressed state. You injected fear in him by telling him you’d be taken away from his parents and that no one would believe you.”

Prato will be eligible for parole after serving five years.