Cranbourne East father of four sexually assaulted 15-year-old niece
A drunk Cranbourne East dad says his wife’s affair with his brother was the reason he sexually assaulted his 15-year-old niece.
South East
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A father of four says he sexually assaulted his 15-year-old niece as she babysat his children because he was “in a dark place” due to his wife sleeping with his brother.
The then 33-year-old man — who can’t be identified for legal reasons — had been downing bourbons when he launched the disgusting attack on the young girl.
The uncle groped, touched and rubbed the teenager’s intimate parts as she lay “frozen with fear” in the spare bedroom of his Cranbourne East home.
The plasterer appeared via video link at the online Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault.
The court heard on May 25 last year the man’s wife had arranged for the young girl to babysit.
The man returned home from work and started drinking Wild Turkey cans before helping to feed his four children.
The girl and the man then watched a movie before she went to the spare bedroom to sleep.
Soon after the uncle came in and began to assault her.
Over her clothing he moved his hands around her bottom and between her thighs and touched her genitals.
He squeezed her breasts, rubbed his penis on her bottom and back, and tried to pull down her underpants.
After she stopped him he left the bedroom, only to return later to lay down next to her and fall asleep.
She later told police she was extremely frightened, frozen with fear and thought he would try and rape her.
The girl told her school friend and the attack was reported to police.
The man’s defence lawyer said his client was remorseful for his behaviour, and was trying to apologise to her when he entered the bedroom a second time.
He made “full and frank” admissions to police, and was getting treatment for his mental health and alcohol issues.
He said he was hurt and stressed after finding out his wife had slept with his brother when this occurred.
He pleaded for no jail sentence for the man, who has no priors and is considered a low risk of reoffending.
The man and his wife are divorced, he has moved out of the family home and is now living in Bayswater.
The police prosecutor said a combination sentence of prison followed by a community corrections order was within range.
She said the man had caused “lasting psychological impacts” on the “vulnerable” young girl which would affect her for the rest of her life.
Magistrate Costas Kilias said he won’t be sentencing him today, but “the starting point is jail”.
The case was adjourned for a corrections order assessment and the man was told to attend court in person on December 4.