Tasmania Supreme Court: Polyamorous man jailed for sexually abusing vulnerable 14-year-old girl

A polyamorous man who sexually abused a 14-year-old Tasmanian girl, taking her to remote locations for sex under a bridge despite already admitting his crimes to police, has discovered his fate in court.

File image.

A POLYAMOROUS man will spend at least a year in jail for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl who developed affection for him and his family.

The 27-year-old man, a father in a 10-year relationship with his primary partner, met the girl on social media in 2021.

The girl told the man, whose name was anonymised by the Supreme Court, that she was 18. In fact, she was a “vulnerable” 14-year-old, subject to a care and protection order, and living in supported accommodation.

In her newly-published comments on passing sentence, Justice Tamara Jago said the man asked the child to join him and his partner in a polyamorous relationship, meeting in real life and engaging in sexual intercourse.

However, Justice Jago said it soon became apparent the girl was “much younger”, and that both the man and his partner had asked her to produce proof of her identity.

Friends and family members then revealed she was 14, and about a month later, the man’s sister sent him a document revealing her true date of birth and that she was subject to a care and protection order.

“When your sister confronted you about the inappropriateness of your relationship with the complainant, you made light of it, responding by saying ‘yep … like I said I am a ped’,” Justice Jago said.

Burnie Police Station.

While the girl continued to deny she was 14, the man had “obvious knowledge” this wasn’t true – but nevertheless continued to engage in a sexual relationship with her.

The girl would sleep in the same bed as the man as his partner and would shower with him.

“All sexual intercourse you participated in from this time was clearly criminal and your moral culpability for the same was high,” Justice Jago said.

“She was young and her life circumstances made her susceptible to influence.”

Three months after he began seeing the girl, the man turned up at the Burnie Police Station with her photo and asked whether police knew her age.

A police officer advised her identity and that she was 14.

He admitted to sexual intercourse on about six occasions as part of a polyamorous relationship.

Following the police interview, the man again resumed sex with the girl, meeting at a remote location and having intercourse under a bridge.

“You took advantage of her youth and her vulnerability for your own sexual gratification,” Justice Jago said.

“She clearly developed affection for you, and your family, and this of course compounded her vulnerability to abuse by you.”

The man pleaded guilty to one count of persistent sexual abuse of a young person, and was jailed for two years – with a non-parole period of one year.

His name has been placed on the sex offenders’ register for six years.

Follow @ambervwilson