Angelo Cirillo, 68: Shepparton bricklayer sentenced over sexual relationship with teen
A Shepparton bricklayer blamed “postnatal depression” when his wife grew suspicious he assaulted a teen while she gave birth to their child.
Goulburn Valley
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A former Shepparton bricklayer has been jailed for seven years after he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old while his wife gave birth to their child.
Angelo Cirillo, 68, pleaded guilty to one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child in County Court in September last year.
The court heard Cirillo sexually penetrated a 13-year-old while he worked on an orchard farm over six months about 20 years ago.
His offending started after he tried to kiss the teen, after claiming he was told someone else said she had a crush on him.
The court heard after the first time the victim was sexually abused, Cirillo noticed blood on the victim’s body. She had lost her virginity.
“I was the first one that did it then …” Cirillo said in a police recorded phone call with the victim.
During the second assault, Cirillo vaginally and anally penetrated the teen without a condom.
At the time his wife was at hospital giving birth to Cirillo’s child.
When his wife grew suspicious, he told her she was suffering from post natal depression.
Eventually his wife caught the accused sexually abusing the victim and asked him to stop.
The victim fled, recalling in her victim impact statement she was at the top of her class in most topics, but was maniacally depressed with PTSD.
The victim reported the attacks more than a decade after she was first assaulted.
Judge Gerard Mullaly said he considered the case had “been hanging over [Cirillo’s] head for some years”.
During sentencing on Monday Cirillo’s defence lawyer, Glenn Casement, pleaded for consideration surrounding his client’s “deteriorating health”.
Mr Casement said his client’s seizure in custody at Hopkins Correctional Centre had proven the facilities’ care created a “highly burdensome environment” for the accused.
But Judge Mullaly “struggled” to see how medical treatments were inadequate during his time in jail.
Prosecutor Ruth Champion claimed the accused’s health issues should be “modestly” taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Alongside the accused’s age, health, strong community presence and a supportive family, the judge equally emphasised “denunciation” for Cirillo’s abuse.
The judge said the abuse of a child had a “significant impact” on the victim, however, the accused’s “cognitive capacity, general health and age” mitigated his sentence.
The accused has had no previous criminal history and affidavits claimed “Cirillo is a well respected family in the Shepparton community in many different fields”.
However, in the judge’s condemnation of the heinous acts, he said Cirillo had “abused [the victim] for perverse sexual satisfaction”.
“These reveal the dark aspect of your character,” he said.
“Had you not pleaded guilty, I would have sentenced you to 11 years with a non-parole period of nine years,” he said.
Cirillo was made a registered sex offender for life.
He will be eligible for parole in five years.