Gippsland’s worst sex offenders: Craig Liefting, Huon Norton, Les White

A mechanic, a teacher and a paedophile who sexually assaulted a schoolgirl in the back of his ute are some of Gippsland’s most shocking sex offenders.

Huon Norton, Craig Beck (top right) and Harry Smith are some of Gippsland’s worst sex offenders.

They’re the depraved criminals whose vile acts made Gippsland’s skin crawl.

A Leongatha paedophile who sexually abused a young girl, a Yarram fiend who sexually assaulted a schoolgirl and a well-known mechanic who raped a woman after drinking at a Phillip Island pub.

Here are some of Gippsland’s most shocking sex offenders.

Huon Norton

Huon Norton pleaded guilty to rape.

A mechanic who raped a woman after drinking at a Phillip Island pub was not made a registered sex offender.

Huon Norton, 29, was sentenced in the County Court to a minimum three years and 10 months’ jail after pleading guilty to a rolled-up charge of rape.

Norton snuck into his victim’s room and anally and vaginally raped the young woman while she slept in early-2020, the court heard.

The victim woke up with “searing pain” – which she later described as the “worst pain she ever felt” – and Norton behind her.

“What the f--- are you doing?,” the victim asked her assailant.

“What do you mean,” Norton replied.

The victim left the room before Norton fled the house.

The court heard Norton did not deny raping his victim but could not “recollect” the offending due to drink beer, spirits and taking cocaine.

Norton claimed the cocaine “just knocked me” and left him feeling like a “zombie”.

Judge Greg Lyon said the offence of rape “attacks a victim’s sense of self”.

He accepted Norton was unlikely to offend again but added being intoxicated was “not an excuse”.

Norton was jailed for a maximum six years and five months but was not made a registered sex offender.

Craig Liefting

The primary school teacher who sexually assaulted two students was regarded a “high risk” of reoffending after he claimed one victim was a “willing participant”.

Craig Liefting, 49, was sentenced in the County Court to a minimum three years and six months jail after pleading guilty to three child sex charges.

Liefting’s victims were primary school students he taught in the past decade.

Liefting’s lewd acts on both victims occurred in a classroom and his office.

He assaulted a victim in front of other students, the court heard.

Liefting assaulted the other victim multiple times over a two-year period, the court heard.

He made the girl sit under his desk and commit lewd acts.

Liefting was teaching at Wonthaggi Primary School by the time he was under police investigation in late-2019 and was suspended by the Victorian Institute of Teaching not long after.

He was placed on the sex offender registry for life.

Harry Smith

Harry Smith was jailed for sexually assaulting an underage schoolgirl.

A Yarram sex fiend who sexually assaulted an underage schoolgirl, leaving the victim’s mother traumatised, was jailed.

Harry Smith, 20, was sentenced in the County Court to a minimum nine months’ jail after pleading guilty to sexual penetration of a child under 16.

Smith assaulted his victim at Sale in September 2020, the court was told.

The fiend persisted with his demands for sexual activity before violating the girl near a park.

The prolonged attack left Smith’s underage schoolgirl with injuries.

Smith later apologised to his victim for causing the injuries but not the assault, the court heard.

Smith also attacked two police officers as they attempted to arrest him days after the assault.

Smith was charged but later bailed.

Judge John Smallwood accepted Smith was a “moderate to high” chance of sexual reoffending.

Smith was assessed for youth justice detention but was found unsuitable, the court was told.

The fiend was jailed for a maximum 18 months and made a registered sex offender for life.

Les White

A filthy Leongatha paedophile told a young girl “bad things” would happen if she told anyone about the sick sexual acts he performed on her.

Les White, 76, was jailed at Melbourne County Court after he was found guilty of committing an indecent act with a child under 16, sexual penetration of a child under 16 and attempted sexual penetration of a child under 16.

The court heard White sexually abused the victim, aged between 8 and 13, in the mid-2000s.

White forced the victim to kiss him, and on another occasion he touched the girl inappropriately while she was on his shoulders.

The victim asked to be put down but he refused because she wasn’t wearing any shoes.

White also encouraged the victim to kiss and rub his genitalia.

The victim feared she had contracted a sexually transmitted disease after learning about it at school.

After sexually assaulting the girl, White told the victim she couldn’t tell anyone about what he had done otherwise “bad things” would happen.

White also forced an object into the victim’s genitalia.

Judge Liz Gaynor said White’s offending was degrading and callous.

“This was classic, predatory, pedophilic behaviour involving the remorseless exploitation of a vulnerable little girl for a period of years,” she said.

“You saw her quite clearly as an object for the satisfaction of your own perverted sexual lusts.”

White was sentenced to 11 years jail on July 7 with a non-parole period of eight years and nine months.

He was placed on the sex offender register for life.

Craig Beck

Craig Beck pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl. Facebook. (Verified Shapiro)

A Gippsland paedophile who sexually assaulted a 13-year-old schoolgirl in the back of his ute was jailed.

Craig Beck, 36, was sentenced in the County Court to a minimum 12 months’ jail after pleading guilty to charges including sexual penetration of a child under 16.

Beck frequently messaged his victim after getting her phone number in August 2019.

He sent the victim lewd messages telling her she was pretty and asking what type of bra and underwear she was wearing.

Beck twice messaged the girl asking if they could date but she “deflected and ignored” the requests.

She told him not to text her phone because her mum checked it.

Beck then fronted at the girl’s school and gave her a phone.

On another occasion, Beck asked the girl if she “wanted to go for a drive” after he saw her walking through town.

Beck drove her to a nearby logging plantation.

The victim took photos of the view but Beck took the phone off her and placed it in his car.

He told the victim he “hadn’t brought her there for the view”

Beck also told his victim that he “needed and wanted her”.

“Don’t give me that look,” Beck said.

“I know you want it.”

Beck said “they were going to do it because (his wife) didn’t want to”.

Beck placed the girl in his ute tray and sexually assaulted her.

The depraved paedophile continued to contact the victim and attended her school during breaks where the court heard he would “often” molest her.

Beck – who also pleaded guilty to sexual assault of a child and use a carriage service to transit indecent communication – was jailed for a maximum 24-months.

He was made a registered sex offender for life.

Beck also had seven months of his sentence wholly suspended for two years.

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