Sex crimes earn jail time

A SOUTHERN Tasmanian man has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty by a jury of indecent assault, rape and assault.

The crimes were committed over several months in either 2008 or 2009 when the defendant was 40 or 41 years old and the victim was 13 or 14 years old.

One night at the man’s home, the boy woke up to find the man indecently assaulting him. Several weeks later, the accused gave the boy a ride home in his car, but part way home he told the boy he “owed him” before pushing him to the ground and forcing him briefly perform oral sex.

The accused later assaulted the boy by throwing a bottle at him, pinning him to the ground and injuring his finger.

The victim, now aged 22, told the court that at the time he befriended the man, his father was suffering mental ill health and his stepfather could

to also be “quite abusive.”

In sentencing, Justice Stephen Estcourt said the defendant showed no remorse.

“[The victim] feels that his future was taken from him by the defendant and that his life was not worth living,” he said.

“He was completely traumatised, in his view, and he hopes that he can close the door on this, and I quote, ‘hideous chapter of his life’ now that the court proceedings are concluded.”

The defendant had a prior conviction for arson for which he was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment in September 2015.

In May 2016, he was also sentenced to 6½ years’ imprisonment for maintaining a sexual relationship with a young person.

Justice Estcourt sentenced the man to a further three years’ imprisonment cumulative to the sentence he was already serving.

He will be eligible for parole after serving half that sentence.