Rockhampton’s Anthony James Taylor jailed for indecent treatment of a child

A man warned by police not to associate with a particular teenage girl has become the third sentenced for sexual offences in the past three months. There are more expected.

Rockhampton’s Anthony James Taylor jailed for indecent treatment of a child.

Another male warned by police not to associate with a particular teenage girl has fronted court charged with sexual offending against the child.

Anthony James Taylor is the third male The Morning Bulletin has heard the sentencing proceedings of in Rockhampton District Court where the child was mentioned as the victim in the past three months.

The first was the sentencing of John Francis Kerrigan, 81, in early October.

He was convicted of three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

It was during the sentencing proceedings of the second man, Paul Hataihanua, 30, that Crown prosecutor Monique Bros-Wilshire told the court the girl’s name was in other files in the Department of Public Prosecutions office in Rockhampton.

Father of four and grandfather of eight, Taylor, 78, is the third man.

During his sentencing proceedings yesterday (December 16), Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said there would be more this week.

In all three men’s cases, they were warned by police to not associate with the teenager and knew her real age before committing their offences.

Hataihanua, who is married and was living in Australia on a work visa, had unprotected sex with the minor on one occasion and used a condom on another.

He also faced Rockhampton District Court for child exploitation material which he manipulated and reproduced.

Kerrigan, who requires a mobility scooter to get around a room and needed special court hearing aids.

John Francis Kerrigan, 81, parked his mobility scooter next to the bar table where his solicitor and barrister sat in Rockhampton District Court, with special court hearing aids in, as he listened to the court proceedings after pleading guilty to three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16 on October 9, 2024.

Sydney-born and Parramatta-raised Taylor was warned by police after the girl started visiting him in his unit, defence barrister Julie Marsden said.

She said her client, a former builder and chef who ran a business in New Zealand for a while, had a car and provided the teenager transport.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the teenager went into Taylor’s bedroom, about a fortnight after he had been warned by police, and Taylor was dressed only in a shirt and underpants.

He said Taylor stood over the girl, dropped his underpants and exposed his erection to her.

Judge Clarke said the girl filmed it and sent it to her carer.

He said later, when police asked him about the offending, Taylor denied it happened.

Judge Clarke said a week later, the girl was again found in Taylor’s unit.

Ms Marsden said her client, who suffers from diabetes, hearing loss, cataracts, heart problems, kidney and liver issues and a hernia, was an alcoholic after he started drinking alcohol from the age of 12.

She said he stopped drinking about five years ago and has never had an issue with drugs.

Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 and was sentenced to 12 months prison to be suspended after serving 165 days.

Judge Clarke declared 165 days presentence custody as time already served and ordered the sentence be operational for two years.

Taylor is now a reportable child sex offender.

Originally published as Rockhampton’s Anthony James Taylor jailed for indecent treatment of a child