George Gosley, 80, pleads guilty to twentieth child sex offence in Toowoomba

A habitual child sex offender captured the trust of a Toowoomba family only to molest their young vulnerable child. Devastatingly, she was nowhere near his first victim.

Queensland man George Raymond Gosley, 80, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 under care before Toowoomba District Court on May 23, 2025. Picture: iStock

An elderly man, whose history of child sex offending stretches back more than 50 years, molested a disabled child after befriending her family.

Queensland man George Raymond Gosley, 80, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent treatment of a child under 16 under care before Toowoomba District Court on May 23, 2025; it marked his fifth occasion before a court for sexual offending against a child.

The court was told Gosley had come to know the young girl and her father well.

Aged 13 to 14 at the time, she lived with intellectual impairments which limited her mental capacity.

Over months, Gosley gained the family’s trust; the girl gifted him a special nickname and the family would visit him at his property where she was left alone in his care.

The court heard the girl’s father even invited Gosley to their family home in Toowoomba on several occasions.

Gosley only ever visited Toowoomba when the girl was due to be there.

At the Toowoomba home, the girl’s father noticed Gosley would inch close to her on the couch, almost touching, before he would ask his daughter to move away.

He also witnessed Gosley whispering to the child; however, when he asked what was said, Gosley assured the man there was “nothing to worry about”.

By Christmas of 2022, Gosley began trying to kiss the child.

Some time between September 2022 and July 2023, she was alone with Gosley in his bedroom when he began molesting her, touching her privates over her clothes.

To police, Gosley denied his violating behaviours towards the child; in court, crown prosecutor Perian Cardiff detailed decades of his egregious offending.

Gosley was previously convicted of 17 child sex offences between 1984 and 2014 in Mackay, Nanango and Kingaroy, to which he received multiple fines, imprisonment and probation.

He was further charged for two counts of failing to comply with the child safety reporting legislation in 2019.

“Primarily his offending in the past and in the present matter involved girls that were around 13 years of age,” Ms Cardiff said.

“It was noted that when he had therapy (during his probation) he completely denied his offending and was not willing to engage in intervention.

“He is someone who has been entirely undeterred in the past for sexual offending against children.”

Defence barrister Douglas Wilson said Gosley suffered a series of chronic and acute conditions which would weigh heavily on him in custody.

“He suffers injuries to his right shoulder which requires an operation … it is a muscle tear … that does cause him severe pain at night,” Mr Wilson said.

“He is on blood thinners to prevent a stroke … he has osteoarthritis in both knees … he uses a walking stick.

“Of course those medical issues combined with mobility issues and advanced age does mean his time spent in custody is going to be much harder than it otherwise would be for a fit and able man.”

Judge Craig Chowdhury berated Gosley for his continual contempt for his victims.

“Obviously age did not stop you from committing these offences,” he said.

“You were a much older adult, you should have been looking after this child, instead you took the opportunity to molest her.

“If you are attracted to a child there is something wrong and you need help, it’s much better to present yourself to a local hospital or look up a counselling service and say ‘I need help’ then going ahead with it.”

Gosley was sentenced to two years imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving six months.

He will be able to present his case to the parole board on November 22, 2025.