Babysitter jailed for raping eight-month-old infant and sexually abusing 15 other children

A court has heard how a babysitter who raped an infant and sexually abused 15 other children used social media to gain the trust of families.

WARNING: Graphic details

A babysitter who advertised his services on social media and was hired to care for 16 young girls at various times, including an infant, gained the trust of families before sexually abusing the victims.

The shocking details of the horrific abuse unleashed by Jareth Harries-Markham, 24, were detailed in the West Australian Supreme Court on Tuesday as he was sentenced to 18 years behind bars.

The court was told Harries-Markham filmed his victims on his phone and took photos as he assaulted and raped them, including inserting an item into the baby.

Prosecutor Brett Tooker became emotional and had to pause while outlining the graphic extent of the abuse.

The victims were aged between eight months and nine years, and some of the 12 families were in court for the sentencing.

Jareth Harries-Markham has been sentenced to 18 years behind bars.

The court was told some families hired Harries-Markham on a live-in basis, with some crimes happening as the children slept.

Other victims were friends of the children who were abused during play dates.

The crimes were committed between July 2020 and August last year.

Harries-Markham told a psychiatrist he had no memory of what happened and he did not know why he did it.

His lawyer Amir Murad argued his client “did love these children”.

“He did become attached to them. It was never his intention to cause them distress in the way he did or in any other way, and he simply cannot reconcile what he has done with how he feels about the children,” Mr Murad said.

He argued his client might not have been aware of the pedophilic disorder he had, adding there was no evidence to suggest Harries-Markham started working as a babysitter to access children.

But Justice Stephen Hall noted Harries-Markham continued to advertise his services after he started offending.

Referring to the victim impact statements, Justice Hall said they made for “harrowing and heart-rending reading”.

“The impact has been felt by not only the victims themselves, but also their parents and extended families,” he said.

“Some of the matters raised are the behavioural changes experienced by the children, the sense of betrayal felt by the parents, overwhelming sense of guilt felt by parents, that the parents have become overly protective of their children, which imposes a greater burden on them and provides less freedom for their children, the uncertainty of lasting harm and the enduring torment that they feel.

“Understandably, many of the parents feel that their trust was abused, and that they would have difficulty ever trusting someone to mind their children again.”

Harries-Markham pleaded guilty to 141 charges, including 35 counts of indecent dealing with a child, 94 counts of indecently recording a child, and 10 offences of sexually penetrating a child.

He must serve at least 16 years behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.

Lifetime restraining orders were also made so he cannot contact the victims.