Melbourne University researcher sexually assaulted ‘vulnerable’ 15-year-old schoolgirl
A university researcher and father of three repeatedly assaulted a 15-year-old schoolgirl in his home, telling her to keep quiet “because other people wouldn’t understand”.
Leader
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A one-time Melbourne University expert who sexually assaulted a “vulnerable” underage schoolgirl has been jailed.
Former researcher Andrew Bevitt assaulted a schoolgirl who had a “dysfunctional” childhood.
Bevitt’s offending began in the early 2010s, shortly after the girl revealed to him she was a victim of another sexual assault.
Much of the offending occurred at Bevitt’s home when his wife was away.
On one occasion, Bevitt asked the girl if she “wanted to learn how to kiss” before kissing her, touching her inappropriately and committing a lewd act.
Bevitt said “other people wouldn’t understand” and “what happened should stay between them”.
Bevitt committed sex acts on the girl on several other occasions, including forcing his victim to perform a lewd act on him while they watched a Star Trek film together.
The girl reported Bevitt to police when she was older.
Police interviewed Bevitt in May 2018.
The court heard Bevitt’s marriage collapsed in March this year and he had quit the university in “anticipation” of his legal matters.
Bevitt, 35, was sentenced in the County Court on November 18 to a minimum two years’ prison after pleading guilty to sexual penetration of a child under 16 and committing an indecent act with a child under 16.
The victim said the offending led to “self-doubt, lack of trust and confusion in relationships”.
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Judge Patricia Riddell said the victim was a “particularly vulnerable young girl”.
“You used her for your own sexual gratification, manipulating and confusing her emotional attachment to you,” she said.
“You silenced her, not by threats, however by telling her that people would not understand what had happened and that it should stay between you.
“Delay in complaint is a common feature where there is sexual offending against a child.
“In my view here, it is a reflection of the power imbalance between you and the confusion in what had occurred.”
Bevitt was sentenced to a maximum four years and six months’ prison with a non-parole period of two years.
The father-of-three was also placed on the sex offender registry for 15 years.