Michael Svensson: Humpty Doo man, 61, jailed for indecent treatment of two young girls

A truckie aged in his 60s has been jailed after committing multiple sexual assaults on two girls. One of whom was incentivised to touch him with the promise of a sweet treat afterwards.

Michael Anthony Svensson, 61, has been jailed for abusing two young sisters at his Humpty Doo property. Picture: File

A Humpty Doo truckie aged in his 60s has been jailed after committing multiple sexual assaults on two girls, one of whom was incentivised to touch him with the promise of a sweet treat afterwards.

Michael Anthony Svensson, 61, pleaded guilty to two counts of committing an act of gross indecency against a child, two counts of aggravated indecent dealing with a child, and one count of indecent dealing with a child.

He was sentenced in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory at Darwin on September 18.

His victims were sisters, one aged under 16, the other aged under 10, who were both abused at his five acre Humpty Doo property on various dates in April and May last year.

The offending against the older child involved three acts: twice, Svensson rubbed the girl’s crotch area while playing in the in-ground pool on his property, and on the third occasion, he produced a sex toy and attempted to get the girl to use it on herself.

Northern Territory Supreme Court Justice Judith Kelly. Picture: File

The girl “squeezed her legs together” to prevent Svensson’s advances, and later threw the sex toy away, Justice Judith Kelly told the court during the defendant’s sentencing hearing.

The younger girl was assaulted twice, the court heard.

On one occasion, Svensson again produced a sex toy and used it on the girl, albeit on the outside of her underwear.

On the other, he used the promise of a jelly treat to coerce the young girl to touch his crotch area while he was clothed.

Justice Kelly said Svensson, who most recently worked as a semi-trailer driver for Woolworths, had a “very dated” criminal history in New South Wales, consisting of drugs, robbery and, relevantly, wilful and obscene exposure.

Svensson was sentenced in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory at Darwin on September 18. Picture: Jason Walls

She said the defendant had a traumatic upbringing, marred by physical and sexual abuse within the family, and which left him a legacy of complex post-traumatic stress disorder.

For many years, Svensson drank heavily – “I had a death wish,” he told the court – but more recently had a healthy relationship with alcohol.

Justice Kelly found that his PTSD and prior alcoholism had no direct causal link with the current offending.

She noted with approval a letter of apology written by Svensson, in which he accepted responsibility for his offending and committed to undertaking whatever rehabilitation deemed necessary to ensure he did not offend against children again.

His family remained supportive of him, Justice Kelly said.

Justice Kelly sentenced Svensson to three years and two months’ imprisonment, suspended after he had served 18 months.

The suspension would be in place for two years.