Former Geelong teacher walks free from court on child sex offences
A FORMER teacher who molested and threatened a 12-year-old Geelong student back in the 70s has walked free from court on a suspended sentence.
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A GRUB teacher and former Marist brother who sexually assaulted a 12-year old student in the 1970s has walked free from court on a suspended sentence.
Alan Edward Swingler, 76, of Torquay, worked at St Joseph’s College in Geelong between 1966-1985, and was jailed in 1995 after being found guilty of sex offences against four students from 1968-1979.
He was released in 1998 but his despicable past came back to haunt him last year when a young student he molested finally went to police.
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The County Court heard the boy endured three years of abuse at the hands of his teacher, who performed unspeakable acts on the terrified child.
The boy, who was abused between years 7-9, beginning in the 1970s, was told by Swingler that he’d be in big trouble if he ever blabbed about the sickening abuse.
Swingler pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault against the child.
In cutting the sex offender loose, Judge Irene Lawson accepted Swingler had pleaded guilty to the charges early, co-operated with police, shown remorse and endured a significant delay in being brought to justice.
She said had the offences been known back when he was sentenced in 1995 they probably would have been served concurrently in part with his jail term at the time.
Judge Lawson sentenced Swingler to three years in jail, wholly suspended for three years, describing the sentence as “just”.
She added the sentence would offer the “best protection of the community”.
Swingler, who retains the support of his wife and three kids, was warmly greeted by several supporters as he was released back into the community.