Central Queensland business director jailed for child sex abuse

A Central Queensland former business director has been jailed for multiple sexual assaults against a child with many impairments of the mind.

File photo of child sitting down. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)

A Central Queensland former business director has been jailed for multiple sexual assaults against a child with many impairments of the mind.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, was in his 50s when he carried out the disgusting acts and told a psychologist the child “had no boundaries” and she “wanted to see what sex looked like because she’d seen those videos on the internet and kept bugging me … she wanted me to do that to her”.

Rockhampton District Court heard the man, who had known the child since she was eight years old, first showed his genitals to the child when she asked, then allowed her to touch and smell his groin.

The offending escalated to jumping in a shower with the girl and skin on skin touching of genitals.

The child, who was aged in her early teens at the time of the offences, blames herself for what happened, saying in her victim impact statement that she felt angry, mad and upset all the time and felt like crying all the time.

The defendant, who had previously been married for 25 years and has three adult children, sought legal advice immediately after police told him they intended to charge him.

The man also sought psychological treatment about the same time and told a psychologist he was the adult and “100 per cent responsible” for what he had done.

The defendant pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 with impairment in his care.

Judge Jeff Clarke sentenced the man to two years prison, suspended after serving six months with a three-year operational period.

Originally published as Central Queensland business director jailed for child sex abuse