’You broke me’: Darling Downs man confronted, jailed for sick relationship with friend’s daughter

A Darling Downs man has been sentenced for starting a secret sexual relationship with his friend’s child, ‘brainwashing’ the vulnerable girl to commit sex acts under the guise of love and ‘being a good wife’.

A Darling Downs man in his 40s was sentenced to a five year jail term before the Toowoomba District Court in October 2024 after pleading guilty to child sex offences. Picture: FILE / Tero Vesalainen

A young woman has bravely confronted her abuser in court, telling the Darling Downs man he “took her last shred of innocence” when the man in his 40s was jailed for maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 16.

The court was told the man, who was a friend of the girl’s father, had brainwashed the young teenager into “being a good woman” who submitted to her man under the guise of love and protection during a months-long relationship.

The woman, who is now in her early 20s, read her victim impact statement to the court.

“At 15 I was a conservative housewife,” she said.

“At 17 I’d seen and experienced sadism in the name of love.

“I (thought I’d) be married by the time I was 18... (and) you’d make me a mother.”

The courageous woman told the self-professed “rock spider hater” that “no amount of time that you ever serve will change the fact that you broke me”.

In October the man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the survivor, was sentenced before the Toowoomba District Court to a five year jail term with parole eligibility next year in May.

The court was told the man began building an intimate relationship with the vulnerable girl after moving into her father’s home a few hours drive northwest of Brisbane.

Within two weeks the pair were sleeping in the same bed and within two months the man introduced the girl to sexual acts.

The girl’s abuser and father were drug users, however the type of drugs were not specified in court.

At the time of the offending the newly registered sex offender was almost three decades older than the man’s daughter.

The court was told the girl’s father was not aware of the situation.

The Crown said the sexual acts occurred about every two days over an eight month period and the man often initiated the contact by calling on the girl to perform her “wifely duties”.

Soon after having intercourse for the first time, the Crown said the girl began worrying about pregnancy, leading to anal intercourse because the man refused to wear protection.

The man pleaded guilty to four charges – unlawful penile intercourse with a child under 16 in a domestic violence setting, indecent treatment of a child, maintaining an illegal relationship with a child, and exposing a child under your care to an indecent act.

A Darling Downs man in his 40s was sentenced to a five year jail term before the Toowoomba District Court in October 2024 after pleading guilty to child sex offences.

Reading her victim impact statement, the survivor told the man he was her first partner and taught her that love was pain.

“There was a time I would have followed you anywhere,” she said.

“You built yourself up to be a protector, you boasted… you would never hurt a woman or child… how you’d kill every rock spider.

“You were gentle at first but slowly like a frog in hot water you turned up the heat.

“You took my last shred of innocence.

“I was broken when we met. You knew of my struggles… you knew I felt unlovable (and) alone.”

The woman said almost every day since she ended the ‘relationship’ she would be “hit like a freight train” with realisations, turning to alcohol to cope with the trauma.

“My day-to-day existence was called into question, I could not cope for a long time,” she said.

“I will never forgive you for lying. I will never forgive myself for believing the lie. I truly believed that you loved me.”

She said she had been sober for almost a year, however struggled to form meaningful relationships.

“I shudder at the slightest touch,” she said,

“I confided in my family about wanting to scrub my skin off.

“I don’t date. I don’t think I’ll ever experience a normal relationship. I still struggle to get close to anyone.”

Judge John Allen KC said the man’s actions were protracted and disgraceful, however occurred in the context of his drug use, trauma, and a family loss.

Judge Allan said the man had no prior convictions for the same type of offending and might have an underlying physiological issue that contributed to the offending.

He noted it was “encouraging” to see the man’s daughter and family members were at court in support.

The man was sentenced to a five-year jail term and the 394 days he had spent in pre-sentence custody was declared time served.

He will be eligible to apply for parole on May 12, 2025.