Bendigo soccer coach Benjamin Hamilton, 29, jailed for grooming, sexually abusing teen

The fiance of a Bendigo soccer coach — exposed after he groomed a vulnerable teen for sex — wept as the 29-year-old was hauled off to jail.

Benjamin Hamilton. Picture: Facebook.

The fiance of a Bendigo soccer coach — exposed after he groomed a vulnerable teen for sex — wept as the 29-year-old was hauled off to jail.

Benjamin Luke Hamilton, 29, was sentenced in the County Court on Thursday to a minimum of 16 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to sexting, grooming and sexually penetrating a child under 16 between 2016 and 2018 in the Castlemaine area.

The Kangaroo Flat man made “complimentary” comments to victim who became “infatuated” with him, taking advantage of her while she was vulnerable and used her for sexual intercourse on at least two occasions, the court heard.

The court heard Hamilton told the child they could “only be together in secret” as he groomed her and sent her sexualised messages for nearly two years, telling her “don’t fall in love with me”.

Hamilton sent images of his erect penis, saying: “do you like the d--k pic, want to touch it?”

His grooming was only discovered when the victim’s mother found a message on the daughter’s device from Hamilton saying: “Why don’t you come here and grab my c--k”.

When police arrested him, Hamilton said the teen was “flirting with him” and claimed the sexual images had been sent to the girl by somebody else.

In a victim impact statement to the court, the teenager said she “felt so taken advantage of” by Hamilton during a time when she was vulnerable, leaving her feeling “guilty” and “ashamed” of her body.

Benjamin Hamilton was coach of the Golden City Football Club reserve mens team in 2024 and 2025. Picture: Facebook.

She said was felt like a “hostage in her own home” left “isolated” with “humiliation and “self-loathing”.

“My sense of safety was taken away from me,” she said.

The defence argued Hamilton should receive a community corrections order, arguing jail time would disrupt his “very good” prospects of rehabilitation.

Hamilton’s lawyer said his client had “good character” as he was “fully engaged” in the community through sporting events.

He was forming good relationships, the lawyer said.

Hamilton was coach of the reserve men’s team of Golden City Football Club for the 2024 and 2025 season.

The prosecution argued Hamilton should be jailed without any option for parole.

Judge Richard Maidment said the court had to balance rehabilitation with just punishment and denunciation of sexual offending against a child.

Hamilton had had “plenty of time” to reflect on his actions over the two years he “concealed” his grooming, he said, and was “fully aware” the girl was underage.

Nothing could “explain or excuse” the 29-year-old’s conduct, he said.

Hamilton’s fiance — watching on in the courtroom — cried as he was convicted, sent to jail for a minimum of 16 months and placed on the sex offender registry for life.

If he had not pleaded guilty Hamilton would have been jailed for two years and eight months with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months, Judge Maidment said.