‘Stickers and toys’: Lawyer asks jury to disbelieve girl’s claim of sexual abuse by child care worker

A former Glenorchy child care worker admits he took “explicit” photos of a little girl in his care. But his lawyer has implored a jury to disbelieve the child’s claims he also sexually abused her.

A barrister acting for a former child care worker who admits he took “explicit” photos of a little girl in his care has implored a jury not to believe the child’s claims he also sexually abused her.

The former Glenorchy child care employee, aged in his early 20s, has denied he abused the four-year-old girl by kissing her mouth, touching or kissing her vagina in the toilet, and exposing his penis to her and asking her to touch it during 2020.

In her closing address to the Supreme Court jury on Wednesday defence barrister Kim Baumeler said the young man had admitted to taking pictures of the little girl on the toilet on two occasions.

Police found the photos in the man’s “recycle bin” on his laptop.

She asked the jury to acquit him of one count of persistent sexual abuse of a child, and find him guilty of an alternative charge – of possessing child exploitation material.

Ms Baumeler, following a seven-day trial before Justice Helen Wood, told the jury the little girl mentioned “I do like coming here” when referring to her visits to a plain clothes police officer.

She said after the first interview, the child had been offered toys and stickers as rewards for information.

“Is she finding secrets so she can keep coming back to the police station for more stickers and toys?” Ms Baumeler said.

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She also said the “opportunity simply didn’t exist” for alleged sexual abuse to have occurred.

Ms Baumeler said in a recorded video interview, played to the jury last week, the child was “very distracted” and spent most of her time “generally not answering the police questions”.

She also described a kiss between the two, witnessed by other staff members, as “nothing sinister”.

Ms Baumeler said in his first interview with police, the young man – who cannot be named for legal reasons – said “male educators get targeted”.

She said he expressed “genuine surprise” at the allegations.

Last week, the jury was played videos of the girl’s interview with police, in which she says the man had kissed her, touched and kissed her “on the bits”, and that “they touched tongues”.

The little girl told police that the man had “made me touch” and “he broke the rules”, telling her what had occurred were “secrets”.

The jury is expected to enter into deliberations on Thursday.