Trevor Pierce: Perverted Cranbourne driving instructor who sexually abused teens jailed, made registered sex offender for life
A driving instructor who sexually abused two of his disabled students during lessons and told police the victims “started it” has had his day in court, supported by his “devastated” wife of 55 years.
South East
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A perverted driving instructor who abused two of his disabled teenage students and told one of their mothers they “started it” has been jailed.
Trevor Pierce, 76, was sentenced to three months behind bars at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, having pleaded guilty to sexual offences.
It comes after the Cranbourne retiree — who volunteered free driving lessons to two young intellectually disabled boys to help get their hours up — performed a string of disturbing acts between late 2018 and May last year.
Pierce messaged two boys through email and Facebook messenger where he referred to one teen as “big boy” and the other as “possum”.
The boys had dinner at Pierce’s house before the predator offered to take them for lessons on Fridays commencing in late 2018.
In one incident in March last year Pierce took one boy on a driving lesson to the Tooradin lookout before touching the teen’s genitalia on top of his pants.
The boy told Pierce to stop performing a lewd act as they drove home but Pierce refused, claiming he wanted his genitalia to have “fresh air”.
The same teen was driving with Pierce at Lysterfield lake a month later when Pierce rubbed the boy’s leg and moved toward his genital area on top of his pants.
Pierce then performed a lewd act when they stopped to eat McDonald’s at a nearby estate.
The second boy recounted when Pierce quizzed him about his sexual preferences before stroking him on top of his pants during lessons.
He said Pierce would perform a lewd act on him during “most” sessions.
The abuse was uncovered when one of the boy’s mother read a vile message from Pierce on one of her boy’s phones.
“Hey big boy, learned how to swallow yet?” the message read.
The terrified mother alerted police and called Pierce, who blamed the children for his sick acts.
“They’ve done things they perhaps shouldn’t have … I don’t want to get them in more trouble than they are already in … they started it,” he said.
It’s unclear if Pierce, who was supported by his wife of 55 years in court, was a registered driving instructor.
The court heard the woman had been left “devastated” by her husband’s offending.
No victim impact statements were left by the boys.
The defence said the father of two, who suffers from diabetes and depression and has no criminal record, “grossly lamented” his behaviour.
But Magistrate Vicky Prapas said Pierce told one of the victim’s mother, police and community corrections assessors the sexual behaviour was instigated towards him.
“ … at sound mind, (with) over 70 years of life experience you should have understood the behaviour was wrong … it’s a disturbing position to have,” she said.
“The abuse of vulnerable young men who looked up to and relied on you to assist them to build a key skill is a grave breach of trust.”
Pierce was sentenced to three months behind bars and will serve a corrections order when he is released.
He was made a registered sex offender for life.
brittany.goldsmith@news.com.au
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