Toowoomba region teen guilty of 5 rape charges, sexual assault, released in 12 months

“Wasn’t me”: A Toowoomba region teenager lied about having multiple personality disorder after he raped his girlfriend at a public toilet block, but that was just the start of his vile sex crimes.

A Toowoomba region teen guilty of 5 rape charges, sexual assault, will be released in 12 months afer being sentenced.

A Darling Downs teenager who repeatedly raped his ex-partner while she was unconscious will spend a year in custody for his “vile” sex crimes.

The now 19-year-old had been on bail in the community since he was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in a domestic violence setting in 2023, which he pleaded guilty to before his sentence on Thursday, May 15.

The victim impact statement of the survivor was read to the Childrens Court of Queensland, in which she said her family believed in “innocent until proven guilty,” which caused her father and brothers to ostracize her.

She also said her stepmother forbade males in the family from being in her presence in case she wrongly accused them of sex crimes.

The now young woman, who’s struggling to come to terms with the effects of her lifelong trauma, asked the courts to issue a protection order, noting her rapist said she should be gutted, and told her to kill herself.

“Have fun with your freedom while it lasts,” he told her.

She then went to the police.

Despite the rapist vehemently denying the allegations when questioned, he confessed to the sex crimes during a pretext phone call.

“I said I wouldn’t do it again, and I did,” he told her.

“I’m really sorry.”

The court heard the first rape occurred in a public bathroom when the 17-year-old girl attempted to use the toilet.

She said their relationship came to an end after the teenager attempted to have sex with her best friend.

Crown Prosecutor Peri Cardiff said the second incident occurred when the girl went to his home to retrieve her belongings but became sick after drinking alcohol, so she went into a room to lie down, later waking up to find the teen raping her.

Ms Cardiff said the girl, who told the teen to stop and she was in pain, fell in and out of consciousness during the two and a half hour attack that left her with bruises and bite marks.

Ms Cardiff submitted a three to four year jail term, with 50 per cent of the time to be served before his release, however Judge Chowhury said the circumstances were insufficient.

District Court Judge Craig Chowdhury.

Barrister Nathan Edridge said the crime was serious and conceded his client’s conduct was appalling, however said the young man had written her a letter of apology.

Mr Edridge said the factors in favour of a lengthy community-based order rather than time included the man’s age, his prejudicial upbringing, which included sexual assault, his lack of history, remorse, guilty plea, and low to moderate risk of reoffending.

Judge Chowdhury said the serious and “vile” crime required jail time.

He said he would reduce the jail term due to the young man’s own sexual abuse, prejudicial upbringing, and prospect of rehabilitation.

The soon-to-be 20-year-old was sentenced to a two-year jail term, to be released after serving 50 per cent of the time, and a two-year probation order to run concurrently.

Once automatically released, he will be subject to a probation order for one year with an additional provision to engage in a sexual offenders program.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Toowoomba region teen guilty of 5 rape charges, sexual assault, released in 12 months