Named: Man who sexually assaulted Toowoomba woman released from jail

A man who sexually assaulted a South Toowoomba woman after randomly knocking on her front door and asking to barter for drugs has been released from custody.

The Toowoomba Court House. Toowoomba City police station watchhouse. Picture: Peta McEachern

A Toowoomba court was told a woman was sexually assaulted at her own home after answering a knock at her door.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told the assault occurred at a South Toowoomba address on April 8, 2024.

The man responsible for the brazen assault, Nicholas Cruz Pearson, was arrested soon after the incident.

The court was told at his sentence hearing on September 24 when the 35-year-old man knocked on the woman’s door he was “holding an orange box” which he attempted to sell for money or exchange for drugs.

The woman told Pearson she was not interested and asked who he was.

“Man I don’t know you, you can f--k off,” she said.

Pearson then obstructed the doorway with his foot preventing the woman from closing the door.

The court was told Pearson said, “do you want to f--k” before lunging forward and grabbing the woman by the crotch.

The woman retaliated by forcefully pushing Pearson from the doorway and yelled, “what the f--k, don’t touch me”, before slamming her door shut and calling police.

He then stole the woman’s bicycle and rode away.

Pearson, who lives with schizophrenia, was arrested soon after and taken to hospital where he caused a public nuisance and obstructed police officers.

The Toowoomba Courthouse.

Police prosecutor Nicholas Pratt said the sexual assault was brazen and showed Pearson’s criminal behaviour was escalating.

Mr Pratt said Pearson had a “very bad criminal history” and although it was his first offence of a sexual nature, “it is littered with offences against the person”.

“There’s a clear pattern of disrespect towards the individual’s right to not be physically interfered with,” he said.

“This offence… is an escalation of behaviour.

“It takes it up a level of seriousness which merits… a lengthier sentence.”

Magistrate Mark Howden said Pearson’s offending was very serious and “no doubt” caused the woman to be extremely frightened.

“As I understand you suffer from some mental illnesses and at the time you were drug affected but that doesn’t give you an excuse for how you behaved,” he said.

Pearson pleaded guilty to sexual assault, trespass, stealing, possessing drugs, obstructing police, and causing a public nuisance, via video link from prison.

He was sentenced to 12 month jail term, with 169 days of presentence custody declared as time served and the remaining balance of the prison term suspended for 12 months.

Upon his release, the court was told Pearson planned to relocate to Western Australia where he would book himself into a long-term rehabilitation facility, Shalom House, which he will fund through Centrelink.

Originally published as Named: Man who sexually assaulted Toowoomba woman released from jail