Named: Queensland man who groomed girl walks free from court for indecent treatment

A Brisbane man who groomed a Darling Downs child before “corrupting” her to engage in sexual acts will spend no time in jail for his disgusting child sex crimes.

Mark Gallman leaving the Toowoomba courthouse after pleading guilty to grooming a teen girl and the repeated indecent treatment of a child.

A Queensland man who groomed a young teenage girl before “corrupting” her to engage in sexual acts will spend no time in jail for the child sex crimes.

Mark Gallman, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of grooming, and four counts of indecent treatment of a child under 15 before the Toowoomba District Court on Friday, June 20, and was sentenced to an 18-month jail term, suspended for two years.

Crown prosecutor Hamish McIntyre said the man had been visiting the Darling Downs region when he befriended the girl.

Mr McIntyre said Gallman indecently dealt with the girl, who was 10 years his junior, on two occasions, which included digital penetration.

Brisbane barrister Ambyr Cousen said the behaviour was out of character for Gallman, noting he had no criminal history and the acts were consensual.

Ms Cousen said a psychiatrist report noted a number of factors that led to his involvement with a child which included a normalisation of relationships with a large age gap as his father was 30 years older than his mother, a cultural normalisation of child marriages, and his mistaken belief that he would be able to refrain from sexual activity with the girl.

The report said he was at moderate risk of reoffending.

She said the highly religious man was waiting for the girl to come of age, and her client didn’t accept the reason he approached the girl in the first place was born out of his sexual desire.

Mark Gallman leaving the Toowoomba courthouse after pleading guilty to grooming a girl and the repeated indecent treatment of a child.

Judge Dennis Lynch KC said he sentenced Gallman on the basis he believed Gallman had a low risk of reoffending and that he didn’t have a sexual interest in children.

Mr Lynch said he was persuaded to impose a suspended sentence, noting he accepted the submission that he didn’t first engage with the child with the intent to groom her.

He noted Gallman, who was remorseful and accepted responsibility for his actions, was engaged with a therapist and underwent specialised treatment for child sex offenders.

Although there were exceptional circumstances, Mr Lynch told Gallman his crime was serious, telling him he should have been a responsible adult in the situation rather than taking advantage of the girl’s immaturity.

Gallman will be on the child sex register for 10 years.