Jasper Huddleston sentenced after meth-fuelled rape of teen girl in Cairns motel

A former council worker has faced a Queensland court for raping a teen girl in a cheap hotel, as he told court the court about his own childhood sexual abuse.

Jasper Huddleston, 26 of Malanda, was sentenced in the Cairns Supreme Court on Friday for two counts of aggravated supply of a dangerous drug to a minor under 16 years, and rape of the same minor. Picture: Supplied / Facebook

A former Tablelands council worker has faced court over shocking claims he raped a teen girl after plying her meth.

Jasper Huddleston, 26, was sentenced in the Cairns Supreme Court on Friday for two counts of aggravated supply of a dangerous drug to a minor under 16 years, and rape of the same minor.

The court heard Huddleston raped the girl after plying her with meth in May 2022, when he was 24.

However, his barrister James Sheridan argued the man was sorry for what he did, had made full admissions – and was himself was stalked by memories by his own childhood incestuous sexual abuse.

The court heard the 26-year-old was living a “transient chaotic lifestyle” in budget accommodation.

A meth addiction led to him losing his licence and employment at Tablelands Regional Council in 2022.

The court was told Huddleston knew that the underage girl had used meth before but had only swallowed it.

The first night they stayed together in the motel in May 2022, he encouraged her to smoke out of a pipe.

After an argument about how to use the pipe, the girl swallowed her meth.

The court heard he then injected himself in front of her, then repeatedly asked her for sex, which she repeatedly declined.

The girl feeling “conflicted guilt” then took a shower before getting into bed with Huddleston, where he raped her.

Huddleston was sentenced in the Cairns Supreme Court on Friday, May 10. Picture: Brendan Radke

Police arrived at the motel the next morning to execute a search warrant and found Huddleston in bed with the girl, at which point he told officers about the drug use and that “consensual” sex had occurred.

The court heard in May the following year Huddleston texted the girl “the whole thing about ****ing you was my biggest unsureness over what you thought about me” and “I’d do it again, too”.

Defence barrister James Sheridan told the court that his client admitted to his wrongdoing and was remorseful.

“He wants if possible to be able to apologise to the complainant” he said.

Mr Sheridan went onto suggest that Huddleston had himself not dealt with issues stemming from childhood.

“From a young age he was looking for a parental figure” Mr Sheridan explained.

“He went to find this in his brother who was seven years older. But what happened – and this is a great cause of embarrassment to him, is that he was sexually abused by his brother between the ages five and 12. This has had a big impact on him.”

“Then in a twist circumstances as his brother was dying he made a deathbed promise to him that he would assume responsibility for his brother’s family.”

Jasper Huddleston, 26 said he was sexually abused by his now deceased brother as a child / Facebook

However, Mr Sheridan said that Huddleston believed that the girl had consented.

Justice James Henry said Huddleston’s belief at the time the teen girl had consented did not “diminish the consequences” of the offending but noted he had since showed “genuine remorse”.

“It is not suggested your supply of drugs had a materially disabling effect upon the complainant or that your belief the complainant had been consenting, as evidenced by the text exchange,” he said.

For the rape offence Justice Henry sentenced Huddleston to five years in prison suspended after one year, and 12 months imprisonment and a further two years on probation for the drugs offences, to be served concurrently.

Several special conditions were attached to the 24-month probation order including that Huddleston must submit to drug testing as well as participate in rehabilitation programs as directed.

The sentence took into account 278 days already served in custody.

Originally published as Jasper Huddleston sentenced after meth-fuelled rape of teen girl in Cairns motel