Aldinga Beach man James Thomas Mulholland jailed for nine years sexual abuse of young girl

He exploited a young girl from when she was 12, abusing her and creating child abuse material – now this ex-CFS volunteer and photographer has learnt his sentence.

A former CFS volunteer has been jailed for nearly a decade for sexually abusing a young girl in what a judge called “brazen” offending and “an unquestionable exploitation” of trust.

Judge Kristopher Handshin sentenced James Thomas Mulholland, 29, in the District Court on Thursday for sexual abuse the Aldinga Beach man said started as “flirting” on social media – before he instigated a physical relationship with the underage victim, identified as B.

James Mulholland has been sentenced for sexually abusing a child. Picture: Instagram

James Mulholland has been jailed for sexually abusing a child. Picture: Instagram

Judge Handshin said Mulholland manipulated the power imbalance that “naturally arises as between adults and children for your own sexual gratification”.

“It is clear that on occasion, you manipulated B to again engaging in sexual activities with you, and at other times, you engaged in coercive behaviour and ignored her request to stop what you were doing,” he also said.

The 29-year-old previously pleaded guilty to maintaining an unlawful sexual relationship with a child, knowingly being in possession of child exploitation material and disseminating child exploitation material.

The abuse took place between 2021 and February 2024, while the victim was between the ages of around 12 and 15 years old.

Citing B’s victim impact statement, Judge Handshin said she “experienced a significant deterioration in her self confidence and self image”.

“She has issues trusting those in her life, including family and friends, and is prone to assuming and over analysing what people are thinking about … because of the concern that they may know something about her past,” he said.

“She feels irritable and angry and suffers from flashbacks of what happened to her.”

Mulholland is a former volunteer with the Virginia CFS brigade and known for his work in car photography, according to his social media.

James Mulholland has been sentenced for sexually abusing a child. Picture: Instagram

The court heard Mulholland was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, complex post traumatic stress disorder and had been abused as a child.

The judge said Mulholland’s father confronted the man who committed the abuse, but that individual then “committed suicide the following day in what must have been an incredibly difficult and trying time for you”.

The judge also said Mulholland suffered physical difficulties, including from a lifelong neurological disorder that required him to undergo five brain surgeries.

Mulholland stood silently as Judge Handshin sentenced him to nine years in prison with a non-parole period of five years, backdated to February 28, when he was taken into custody.

Originally published as Aldinga Beach man James Thomas Mulholland jailed for nine years sexual abuse of young girl