Traralgon Grindr fiend Harley Shore jailed for persistent sexual abuse of a child under 16

A mother has told of her HIV dread after a Traralgon man sexually assaulted her son at public toilet in a Gippsland IGA.

Harley Shore sexually abused a boy he met via gay dating app Grindr.

A Grindr sex fiend who sexually penetrated a schoolboy inside a Gippsland public toilet after the victim had gone shopping with his mother has been jailed.

Harley Shore, 30, was sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday to a minimum 12 months’ jail after pleading guilty to persistent sexual abuse of a child under 16.

Shore, from Traralgon, met his victim via gay dating app Grindr in early-2017.

He asked his victims for photos and commented that the boy “looked young”.

Shore arranged to meet his victim at the Ritchies SUPA IGA Churchill at Hazelwood Village while the boy was on a shopping trip with his mother.

The victim told his mother he was sick then went to the toilet where Shore sexually penetrated the boy.

At a later date, Shore drove the boy to a “secluded area” and sexually assaulted his victim, the court was told.

The court heard the boy looked nervous on the drive so Shore put his hand on the victim’s leg and told him it was OK.

In 2018, the boy stayed at Shore’s Traralgon home.

The victim’s worried parents tracked their son’s mobile phone to Shore’s house, the court heard.

Police, who arrested and interviewed Shore in June 2018, seized evidence including a towel and a vibrator.

Investigators also arranged a recorded phone call between the victim and Shore where the pair discussed their story about the boy’s real age.

Shore told police the boy had stayed in his bed but assumed the victim was 18 because he “had a Grindr account”.

The court heard Shore believed his victim was 19 when they first met but later discovered the boy was underage.

The boy’s mother had her victim impact statement read to the court.

The mother said Shore’s conduct had been “very manipulating”.

She also described the fear and dread while they waited for HIV test results to be returned.

“(He) could’ve been damaged,” she said.

“You took my son’s childhood away.”

The victim’s father read his victim impact statement to the court.

“I felt I had failed (the victim) as a dad,” he said.

“He was a young and vulnerable with a great personality that was taken advantage of.

“This has turned my life into turmoil … how do you kickstart your life when there is no enjoyment”

“The damage you have inflicted on my son (led to) the destruction of my family.”

The court heard Shore graduated year 12 and later worked installing car stereos.

Judge Liz Gaynor said during Shore’s plea hearing that the victim’s parents would have been “extraordinarily distressed”.

“This is a case of taking advantage of something he (Shore) shouldn’t have taken advantage of,” Judge Gaynor said.

Shore was jailed for a maximum three years.

[e-mail]