Electrician guilty of sex attack against his stepdaughter at Toowoomba hotel

A FIFO electrician who subjected his stepdaughter to a ‘lifetime of trauma,’ has pleaded guilty to a child sex offence at Toowoomba Court. WARNING: Distressing content.

A 15-year-old girl’s life changed forever when her alcoholic stepfather jumped into bed with her on a Toowoomba hotel room couch, while her mother slept nearby.

The electrician cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim who now suffers from complex post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.

The FIFO worker pleaded guilty to two charges of the indecent treatment of a child under 16 on Tuesday, September 5, and was sentenced on September 7.

During the sentence, the Toowoomba District Court heard the sickening act occurred after the family attended a boxing match.

The man who workes at Queensland oil and gas mine sites pleaded guilty to two charges of the indecent treatment of a child under 16, at the Toowoomba District Court on Tuesday, September 5. Picture: Peta McEachern

The court heard the underwear-clad man climbed onto the couch with the girl and began groping her chest, before resting his hand on her genitals before moving the protesting child’s hand onto his genitals.

The court heard the drunk man left the couch and later woke in a bathtub.

The girl told her mother, who confronted her then-husband – he said he was blackout drunk and did not remember anything but said there was no reason to doubt the girl’s claim.

Judge Vicki Loury KC told the man his actions were an “enormous breach of trust,” which was detrimental to the child’s mental health and had negatively affected her schooling.

“The courts are only too aware that childhood sexual abuse can have profound effects upon the victims which can pervade almost every aspect of their lives through their adulthood,” she said.

“It is serious because it involves skin-on-skin contact and… you persisted in the face of her clear indications for to you to stop.”

Judge Loury KC said the man, who is in his 30s, immediately expressed remorse and apologised to the girl.

“I accept that you are genuinely remorseful,” she said.

“You haven’t sought to minimise your offending and have expressed shame.”

Judge Loury KC said the man, who has young children, had struggled with his mental health since he was a child and had since taken steps to address his alcoholism.

The tradesman was sentenced to an 18-month jail term, to be suspended for two years after he served six months.