Lockyer Valley sex offender John Collier pleads guilty to assaulting teenager

A Lockyer Valley man, who was already on the child sex offender register, walked free from court after he was found guilty of assaulting a girl at a major Toowoomba shopping Centre, and having a creepy sleepover with teens.

A Lockyer Valley businessman left Toowoomba court smiling, and talking about celebratory beers, after he was sentenced for assaulting a minor and other concerning sex pest behaviour. Ma Ma Creek man John Wayne Nathan Collier was placed on the child protection offender registry after he was sentenced in the Brisbane District Court in 2021 for accessing and distributing child exploitation material.

He was released after serving six months of a two year and nine month jail term.

However, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told the 29-year-old had not been taking his status as a reportable offender seriously and breached the order a number of times.

Registered child sex offender John Wayne Nathan Collier leaving court after being sentenced for touching a teen's bottom at Grand Central. Picture: News Regional Media

On Wednesday, December 20, Collier fronted court, flanked by a group of friends who were there in support, where he pleaded guilty to assaulting a 16-year-old girl by touching her buttocks.

The court was told Collier was not to have contact with anyone under the age of 18, and if so, to report it to the registry within 24 hours – which he failed to do so.

He also failed to disclose his OnlyFans account.

Police prosecutor Rowan Brewster-Webb said Collier had repeated, deliberate, and prolonged contact with two teenage girls, and a boy, on a number of occasions between January and March of 2023.

The court was told he met the teens, aged between 16 and 17, by chance and was quick to strike up a relationship with the trio, which involved him inviting them to dinner and lunch, buying them alcohol, having them sleep over at his home, and shopping trips.

During a sleepover, the court was told he said to the girls they were welcome to sleep with him in his bedroom.

Mr Brewster-Webb said on one occasion Collier took the girls to Grand Central Shopping Centre where he attempted to pay for a group massage, however, he could not find an establishment to accommodate the request.

“At that point in time, occasion, he assaulted one of the children by touching her on the bottom after picking her up,” he said.

“It was an unprovoked and unwelcomed inappropriate touching of a child.”

John Wayne Nathan Collier fronted Toowoomba court on Wednesday, December 20, and pleaded guilty to assaulting a child, and four charges of failing to comply the child protection offender registry.

Mr Brewster-Webb said when Collier was confronted about the incident he “continually denied the act”.

“He somehow and for some reason has bonded with those persons 10 years his junior … (and) he did manage to integrate himself into their lives,” he said.

“His interactions with the children are concerning, to say the least.

“The character references all speak of him being a good guy, and if he does want to do stuff with adults in the way he interacts with people that’s fine, he can go at it, but not with children – and that is for a very good reason.”

Magistrate Louise Shephard said it could be inferred he hoped to have sexual contact with one or both of the girls, and it was particularly concerning behaviour given he was well aware of his reporting obligations.

“It seemed very clear to me he made a real effort to ingratiate himself with these children,” she said.

Solicitor Calum Wood told Ms Shephard his client admitted to being “flippant” about being on the CPOR register.

“He is flying very close to the sun, I’ve instructed him any further breaches will possibly land him in custody serving actual time,” he said.

The McConnell and Saldumbide lawyer conceded the repeated contact was concerning behaviour and said Collier suffered abuse as a child and was diagnosed with PTSD.

In 2021, John Wayne Nathan Collier was sentenced to a two year and nine month jail term, suspended for three years, after serving six months behind bars for accessing and sharing child abuse material. Picture David Clark

Mr Wood said Collier was an educated man with strong work prospects, noting he was in the process of buying a Harvey Norman store, but the franchise deal fell through when he was initially charged with child sex offences.

“There are a lot of issues going on with (him) that he is attempting to address,” he said.

“It’s his long-term goal to effectively start a business either doing TV hanging or shade sails.”

Mr Wood said Collier was trying to rebuild his life after being released from jail in May 2022 and had been living with and working for his grandfather at a Ma Ma Creek property.

The court was told Collier had a mechanical engineering degree, was a qualified personal trainer, and received an OP 7 when he graduated from high school.

Collier pleaded guilty to assaulting a child, and four charges of failing to comply the child protection offender registry and was sentenced to a two year probation order.

However, he will return to Toowoomba District Court at a later date to deal with the suspended sentence breach.

The court was told Collier will undergo therapy to understand underlying issues related to his offending, which included having an interest in child exploitation material.

Collier will be subjected to the CPOR register for four years, and remains on a three-year suspended sentence.