Darwin teenager, 18, pleads guilty to raping four-year-old girl

A DARWIN teenager has pleaded guilty to raping a four-year-old girl.

The now 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal ­reasons, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse without consent. Picture: Che Chorley

A DARWIN teenager has pleaded guilty to raping a four-year-old girl.

The now 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal ­reasons, appeared in the Darwin Supreme Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse without consent.

He was 17 years old at the time of the offending.

The court heard the victim was a family friend who came to the offender’s house in the Darwin rural area with her mother in March last year.

The offender took the victim into his room and unsuccessfully attempted to penetrate her vagina and then her anus.

He then put his penis in the victim’s mouth, forcing her to perform oral sex on him.

According to the statement of agreed facts, the victim was then taken to the bathroom where the offender helped her rinse out her mouth and clean her shirt “in an attempt to conceal his actions”.

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The victim’s mother became concerned when she ­noticed that the victim’s shorts were twisted and her shirt was wet and reported the incident to police after the victim “indicated that something had happened with (the offender’s) penis”.

The offender then messaged the victim’s mother saying “I very sorry what I did” and “Please don’t take me to jail”.

Crown prosecutor Stephen Geary told the court the offender, who had been on bail since June, should be sent straight to adult prison.

“The offender knew what he was doing, he tried to cover his tracks,” Mr Geary said.

“To be still on bail after pleading guilty to such a serious offence will send a wrong message to the community.”

The offender’s lawyer, Clement Ng, told the court his client had cognitive deficits and should remain out of ­prison so he could be assessed for services that could help his rehabilitation.

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Judge Jenny Blokland decided to extend his bail but said he was likely to go to jail when he was sentenced.

The matter will return to court in March.

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