‘Inherently evil’: Former Glenorchy child care worker to serve jail time for sexually abusing 4-year-old

“This world is now tainted in my eyes, where I see danger to my family everywhere.” The parents of a little girl sexually abused by a Glenorchy child care worker have shared their pain in court.

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A JURY has returned a verdict of guilty in the case of a young Glenorchy child care worker who not only took explicit photos of a four-year-old girl in his care, but also sexually abused her.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been taken into custody and will serve a sentence of imprisonment over his “inherently evil” offending.

After deliberating for several hours, a Supreme Court jury found the young man guilty of persistent sexual abuse of a child, after he repeatedly abused the little girl at the child care centre in 2020.

On Friday, following the verdict, the girl’s father tearfully read out his victim impact statement before the court.

“Since my wife told me our little girl was harmed, my life has been changed forever,” he said.

“(My daughter’s) innocence has been taken away forever.”

He said at psychology appointments, the child “changes into a shell of herself”.

“This world is now tainted in my eyes, where I see danger to my family everywhere,” he said.

“I drink more than I ever have. I drink to forget and I drink to get through another day.”

The child’s mother said they hoped their daughter would forget the abuse due to her young age, “but this was not to be”.

She said her daughter experienced significant bouts of self-harm, including hitting herself and pulling her hair out.

“Sitting below the surface is a little girl who is struggling and who is hurting with what happened to her,” she said.

“She’s said things like, ‘it would be easier if I wasn’t here anymore’.”

The woman said her family sees “danger everywhere” now.

“We sent our children off to what we thought was a safe place. We trusted him with the most precious thing we have in this world,” she said.

Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Avery said the man had taken explicit photos of the child while she was in a vulnerable position, in the toilet, while she was alone with him.

“(She) is clearly identifiable in those photographs. Her face is visible, and that’s further breach of her trust,” Ms Avery said.

“Engaging her in that type of act is inherently evil.”

Justice Helen Wood refused a request by defence barrister, Kim Baumeler, to continue the man’s bail while he underwent unrelated medical screening.

“I’m not going to grant bail, this is a very serious matter,” she said.

Justice Wood described the little girl as having given “honest and reliable” evidence about what happened to her at child care.

She remanded the man in custody and ordered a forensic mental health screening report.

He will return to court on March 30.

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Originally published as ‘Inherently evil’: Former Glenorchy child care worker to serve jail time for sexually abusing 4-year-old