The Auslan Company founder Darren Roberts pleads guilty to sexually assaulting child under 16
The chief executive and founder of a Melbourne Auslan teaching company has admitted sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.
South East
Don't miss out on the headlines from South East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A hearing-impaired teacher who founded a southeast Auslan teaching service used by multiple schools has been exposed as a child sex fiend.
Darren Roberts, 54, was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on October 1 to a two-year community correction order after pleading guilty to a rolled-up charge of sexually assaulting a child under 16.
Roberts, of Pakenham, offended against his 12-year-old victim in 2019.
The fiend sexually assaulted the young girl after offering to give her a massage.
Roberts asked his victim if she wanted him to “stop or keep going”.
The victim told Roberts to stop but his lewd offending continued.
The girl later told her mother who reported the fiend to police.
Police arrested and questioned Roberts after he attended Dandenong Multi-Disciplinary Centre by appointment.
Roberts, who has profound deafness, made a “totally no comment” interview with investigators via an Auslan interpreter.
The court heard the victim’s schooling and total wellbeing had been affected due to the offending.
Roberts, who also required the services of an interpreter in court, is the founder and chief executive of southeast teaching service The Auslan Company.
The company provides Auslan teaching services to multiple Melbourne schools including primary schools in the southeast and Roberts is part of his company’s teaching staff.
Magistrate Hayley Bate, who took into account Roberts’ disability when sentencing, said the offending was “inherently serious”.
“That day (the victim) was terrified and confused,” Magistrate Bate said.
“She should be commended in the bravery she showed by reporting your offending to her mother …
“Your actions have interfered with this little’s girl’s ability to live her life carefree now as a young teenager as she is entitled … (the victim) continues to feel the impact of your offending.”
Roberts, who was assessed as being a “low risk” of reoffending, was convicted and made a registered sex offender for eight years.
