Grant James Motley, 53, pleads guilty to five counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16

A long list of sick sexual abuse acts to children under 13 by an ex-millionaire tradie, including at shopping centres, has been revealed, as a court heard details of the horror message he sent to one girl after molesting her when she was 10.

Grant James Motley pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

A former millionaire tradie who sexually abused multiple children, including at shopping centres, messaged one repeat young victim “(I’m) some stranger who molested you a few years ago at a party”, a court has heard.

That girl was just 10 when Grant James Motley, now 53, first abused her, asking if she wanted a special message that other children liked before putting his hand down her underwear.

Five years later in 2021 the twisted electrician sent the same girl a message on Instagram calling himself Steve and sent videos of himself masturbating.

He requested photos and sent her sexualised messages identifying himself as the man who had abused her in 2016.

A report was made to police in 2021 however Motley, who experienced homelessness after his business collapsed, could not be found at the time.

In 2023 Motley approached a 13-year-old girl in a shopping centre and ran his hand across her buttocks and grabbed. Later he ran his fingers up another 13-year-old girl’s thigh.

He then approached a 10-year-old girl in a Lego store and touched her hip.

Motley was charged and released on bail only to offend again against even younger child,

Brisbane’s District Court heard.

Grant James Motley asked a 10-year-old girl if she wanted a special message that other children liked before putting his hand down her underwear.

This included stalking a nine-year-old at a shopping centre for 11 minutes and tapping her shoulder then stalking an 11-year-old girl for about five minutes saying “come here come here” while he pleasured himself as he stared at her.

The various victim impact statements by the young girls involved similar themes of feeling anxious out in public and scared while their parents detailed the guilt they felt in having let it occur, although Chief Judge Brian Deveraux was quick to assert Motley was to blame and no one else.

“(One mother) described having to check around the bed to make sure you’re not there,” he said on Tuesday.

Crown prosecutor Stephanie Gallagher said the aggravating features of the case were the number of child victims, their age, being on bail at the time for some of the offending and that it occurred over years.

“There’s really a particularly predatory way with which he approaches this offending seeking out children in the public,” she said.

Motley pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, including one under 12, two counts each of stalking and common assault and one count each of indecent act in public and failing to hand over his phone’s passcode to police.

His barrister Michael Bonasia said his client had run a successful electrical company with several contracts with big business and had turned over $4 million shortly before 2016.

However this unravelled when the other companies began downsizing.

“He effectively lost his business, his company, his employees, his house in a very short term, and this resulted in him being homeless and turning to drugs. And that was where his life really went downhill,” Mr Bonasia said.

“Then the offending happens.”

Mr Bonasia said his client had pleaded guilty early and undertaken both drug rehabilitation and learning courses in custody and was now enrolled in a degree at the University of Southern Queensland.

Chief Judge Deveraux said none of this directly addressed Motley’s “extremely concerning behaviour”.

“I’m particularly concerned with protecting the community,” he said.

Motley was sentenced to three years and nine months jail.

Parole eligibility was set at today, taking into account the 496 days Motley has been in prison, however the court heard it could take up to six months for a parole application to be decided.

Originally published as Grant James Motley, 53, pleads guilty to five counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16