Michael Corbett, 61, jailed for horrid child sexual offences

A man who abused a child in Geelong in the 1980s will have to spend at least 11 years in jail.

Michael Corbett to spend at least 11 years in jail. FILE PICTURE

A pedophile with a long standing sexual attraction to young boys will have to spend at least 11 years in jail, a court has heard.

Michael Corbett, 61, pleaded guilty in the County Court on Tuesday to a number of offences, which included sexually abusing a young boy in Geelong in the 1980s and sexually abusing boys in the Philippines.

In sentencing Corbett, Judge Anne Hassan said the man befriended a Victorian family and sexually abused a young boy on several occasions, including in Geelong, during the mid-to-late 1980s.

The court heard Corbett, a former security guard, abused the victim in Whittington in late 1985 and told the boy “not to worry about it”.

Corbett regularly abused the victim after this incident and followed the victim’s family to Townsville, before returning to Victoria in 1987.

The court heard Corbett stopped abusing the boy in 1988 after an adult confronted him about his actions.

The victim described the “profound harm” he suffered as a result of the abuse, which he said stripped him off his self worth and innocence.

In 2008 the victim made a complaint to police.

Corbett was also found guilty of Commonwealth Offences relating to the sexual abuse of three young children in the Philippines.

The court heard Corbett paid the young boys $8 to $13 to sexually abuse them, and that they were offered to him as part of a service by a facilitator.

The Philippines National Police located and arrested the facilitator in February 2019, and six children were rescued as a result.

On 5 February, 2020, AFP members travelled to the Philippines to conduct interviews with the victims.

During the interviews, the victims identified the Corbett man and reported incidents of sexual abuse.

Police arrested Corbett after he arrived in Sydney from Singapore in November, 2021, and he was extradited back to Melbourne where he was later charged.

Judge Hassan said Corbett “used kids as objects to be bought and sold” and labelled this as the most heinous aspect of his behaviour.

“You exploited the vulnerability of children living in poverty,” she said.

Judge Hassan also said Corbett showed no remorse for his offending.

Corbett was jailed for 15 years, with a non-parole period of 11 years.

Originally published as Michael Corbett, 61, jailed for horrid child sexual offences