Teen sexual assault victim ‘lost belief in herself’ after she was abused, court hears

A female who was sexually assaulted by a Lovely Banks father when was 14 has told a court she started to self-harm as a way to cope.

Troy John Pyle leaves court in Geelong.

A victim who was sexually assaulted by a Lovely Banks dad when she was 14 told a court she “lost belief in herself” and started to self-harm as a way to cope.

Troy John Pyle, 45, fronted the County Court in Melbourne on Tuesday for a plea hearing.

In June this year, he was found guilty by a jury on eight charges including sexually assaulting a child under 16 by touch and sexually penetrating a child under 16.

During the trial, prosector Yildana Hardjadibrata told the court Pyle touched the victim’s hips and buttocks, both above and beneath her underwear, kissing her on the lips using his tongue and, on one occasion, penetrating her using his fingers.

The offending took place between February 2019 and August 2019.

In a victim impact statement, read aloud in court by Mr Hardjadibrata, the complainant said her innocence was stolen from her in “the most horrible and traumatic way”.

“I was always a person who enjoyed being in the company of other people,” she said.

“Since this assault, I’ve become more of a recluse and prefer to stay at home.”

The victim said she was “shocked” and “scared” when the offending occurred.

“I prayed it was all a very bad dream,” she said.

The victim said she lost 13kg after she was abused and now took antidepressants and saw a counsellor.

“I started self-harming as a way to cope,” she said.

“I lost friends I had for years because I was changing as a person.

“I lost belief in myself and trust in almost every single person around me.”

The victim, who is now a mum, said she was “over-protective” of her child and would have to live with this trauma for the rest of her life.

“I’m slowly transforming from victim to survivor,” she said.

Victim impact statements from the complainant’s mother and sister were also read aloud in court.

The victim’s mother said it “broke” her when her daughter told her what had happened and felt she had “failed” as a mum.

“I used to love life and everything about it — I fear it now,” the mother said.

Pyle’s lawyer, Paul Stefanovic, said his client did not have a prior history of sexual offending and had good prospects for rehabilitation with a low risk of recidivism.

A psychologist’s report and eight character references for Pyle were tendered to the court.

“The glowing testimonials all speak with one voice – this is so out of character for (Pyle),” Mr Stefanovic said.

He said there were minimal aggravating features in the offending and there was no premeditation or grooming.

“There was no attempt to coerce or bribe the victim,” Mr Stefanovic said.

Judge George Georgiou will sentence Pyle at a later date.

If you need support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Originally published as Teen sexual assault victim ‘lost belief in herself’ after she was abused, court hears