Sunshine Coast child abusers in court in 2022
These men all pleaded guilty to offending against children under 16 on the Sunshine Coast in 2022. See the faces behind the sickening crimes.
Police & Courts
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Sex offences are some of the most serious cases that come through Sunshine Coast courts, especially when children are involved.
From a high profile figure who raped a girl under 16 to a man who groped an autistic girl in a shopping centre, we’ve compiled a list of the men who sexually violated children under 16 and were punished by law for their actions.
Geoffrey Charles Rogers
A victim of a well-known Bundaberg businessman has spoken about her “overwhelming” lifelong trauma after she was raped and sexually assaulted by the father of four.
Geoffrey Charles Rogers, 59, who owns the two successful companies – AustralianSeafood.com and Wizard Drilling – was sentenced in Maroochydore for the “violent” sex crimes he committed against a girl who was under 16 at the time.
He was sentenced in Maroochydore District Court after pleading guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of common assault and three counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.
Crown prosecutor Catherine Birkett said in 1998, when Rogers was 36, he sexually assaulted the victim who was 15 at the time by touching her breasts, digitally raping her and called her a “sl-t”.
A few days later, he took the victim on a tour of his farm before raping her, slapping her across the face and biting her breasts.
In a third incident, Rogers took the girl to an “isolated location” where he raped and sodomised her until she vomited.
He sentenced Rogers to nine years’ prison with parole eligibility after four and a half years.
Rogers has not appealed his sentence.
Richard Carl Skrinjar
A Sunshine Coast dad and reportable offender has come before the court for grooming a teenage girl after being previously convicted of making child exploitation material.
Richard Carl Skrinjar, now 53, was given two years’ prison suspended for two and a half years, along with probation for two years upon his release, in Maroochydore District Court on August 29, 2022.
The court was told Skrinjar’s grooming of the 14-year-old girl “scarred her forever” and involved him messaging the complainant, inviting her to his house, visiting her house, indecent touching, kissing and inappropriate comments.
During a six-month period between October 16 and April 10, 2021, Skrinjar communicated at least 394 times with the teenager over the phone.
He would call her “baby”, “beautiful”, “sexy pants” before kissing on the cheek saying he was going to marry her.
The recent offending breached his suspended sentence from 2018 for making child exploitation material as it occurred during the operational period, crown prosecutor Madalyn Olivero said.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent treatment under 16, one count of grooming and seven counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations.
Skrinjar has not appealed his sentence.
Michael John Williams
A Sunshine Coast courier business owner’s sickening sex crimes against a young girl, which included a disturbing blindfold food game, have been exposed in court.
Michael John Williams indecently dealt with the girl on two occasions when she was aged between nine and 11 and he was aged 32 to 33.
Judge Amanda McDonnell said the girl asked Williams to play a food game, and he blindfolded the child with her hands tied up and first put a sausage in her mouth before he put his genitals against her mouth.
Judge McDonnell said on another occasion the 40-year-old touched her body and her genitals under her clothing.
Williams initially said he couldn’t recall the offending, before later pleading guilty in Maroochydore District Court to two counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12.
He was sentenced to two years’ jail, which is to be suspended after he serves six months.
He will also be placed on probation for two years upon his release from custody.
Williams has not appealed his sentence.
Astonn Robert Becker
A churchgoing 21-year-old man has avoided time behind bars after he exposed his penis and used a 12-year-old girl for sexual pleasure.
Astonn Robert Becker was given a 15-month suspended prison sentence and a probation order after he pleaded guilty to three charges including two counts of indecently treating a 12-year-old girl back in 2019.
Crown prosecutor Greg Cummings told the Maroochydore District Court on January 17, 2022, that Becker had already exposed his penis to the 12-year-old girl when he indecently treated her twice.
“He … used her hand to masturbate his penis on two separate occasions,” Mr Cummings said.
The court heard Becker ignored the young girl’s plea for him to stop.
The 15-month suspended sentence will be operational for two years.
Becker has not appealed his sentence.
Richard John Strano
A child with autism has spoken about the ongoing trauma she has felt after being groped by a middle-aged man when she became separated from her mum in Coles.
Richard John Strano had been lurking in the supermarket aisles in Buddina on March 6, 2021 when he touched the 10-year-old girl, causing grief to the child and the rest of her family in the fallout.
Maroochydore District Court heard the child, who has autism, had separated from her mum and sister and had been alone in the aisle with Strano.
Crown prosecutor Joana Dias said the then 39-year-old Dicky Beach man came up behind the child and grabbed and squeezed her on the bottom.
Ms Dias said he let out a loud groan or grunt, with the child turning around and smiling uncomfortably at the older man before she found her mum.
Strano pleaded guilty to indecent treatment of a child and was jailed for three months, suspended for one year.
He has not appealed his sentence.
Justin Daniel Theodore Giffin
A reportable offender used Instagram and Snapchat to manipulate pre-pubescent girls as young as 10 to engage in “sex talks” and send him nude photos and videos of themselves, a court has heard.
Justin Daniel Theodore Giffin, now 31, was given 4.5 years’ prison with immediate parole eligibility after serving almost two years in presentence custody.
Maroochydore District Court heard how Giffin posed as a child between the age of 14 or 15 when he used Snapchat and Instagram to engage in sexually explicit conversations with at least 13 female children.
The girls were aged between 10 and 15 years, with the conduct occurring over a six-month period between April and November, 2020.
Giffin, who was 29 at the time, would request sexually explicit photographs and videos of the girls and send the children child exploitation material as examples of the content he wanted the girls to send him.
Judge Nathan Jarro said Giffin induced the girls to assume sexualised positions, expose their genitals and engage in sexual activities for his own gratification.
Giffin pleaded guilty to offences including 13 counts of indecent treatment of children under 16, distributing child exploitation material, involving child in making child exploitation material, using carriage service to access child abuse material and possessing child exploitation material.
He has not appealed his sentence.
Bertram Penman
A former roofing businessman has been punished in court for raping a young girl after she spoke out 10 years on from the “vile” offending.
Bertram Penman, now 77, was sentenced to 4.5 years’ prison suspended after serving 19 months for an operational period of five years in Maroochydore District Court.
Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks said Penman was between the ages of 66 and 69 when he raped a young girl.
Ms Marks said the victim told her parents about the offending in March 2021 when she was 13-years-old. She was able to recall five incidents where Penman sexually abused her.
“He would try to make out with her … he attempted to stick his tongue inside her mouth,” Ms Marks said.
“The defendant had also told her it was their little secret.”
The now 15-year-old victim read her impact statement aloud in court and spoke of the ongoing impacts the offending has had on her.
“Every second week I’d go to therapy, it was like the anchor to my trauma I couldn’t escape, I became depressed, I was the shell of my body,” she said.
“I felt so physically disgusted with my body … some nights when I would shower I would scrub so hard on my skin until it was red raw, I just wanted the feeling of dirtiness and disgust to leave.”
The victim told the court she now doesn’t feel safe when leaving the house and is terrified of men.
“Although I might not be able to give back that sweet little girl her innocence and childhood at least I can give her the justice she deserves,” she said.
Defence barrister Ambyr Cousen said her client had written an apology letter to the victim and had no criminal history.
Ms Cousen said Penman started his own roofing company that became one of the biggest in Australia over a 40-year period.
“He knows he can’t take it back, he knows he’s messed up (the complainant’s) life,” Ms Cousen said.
“He has demonstrated genuine remorse.”
Penman pleaded guilty to six counts of rape and four counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12.
Judge Nathan Jarro described the offending as “vile”, “abhorrent” and “hideous” and recorded convictions against him.
Penman has not appealed his sentence.
Tarquin Vincent Grott
A Cooroy father-of-four who preyed on a 14-year-old girl after selling her drugs has been jailed for his “vile” and “abhorrent” crimes.
Tarquin Vincent Grott, now 28, will spend another five months behind bars after pleading guilty in Maroochydore District Court to one count of having carnal knowledge of a child under 16 and breaching his suspended sentence.
Judge Nathan Jarro told the court on May 9, 2022, that Grott and his fiance were in an open relationship when they were living together and were intending to arrange a threesome in July of 2019.
The complainant was 14 at the time and was introduced to Grott, then 25, and his partner through a mutual friend.
On one visit, the complainant and Grott cuddled and tickled each other, the court was told.
“The complainant got into bed with (Grott) and the fiance and the three of them hugged,” Judge Jarro said.
“ (Grott) and the complainant then engaged in consensual sex which ended when (Grott) ejaculated, you did not wear a condom.”
He was eligible for parole on October 24, 2022.
Grott has not appealed his sentence.
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