Man abused daughter of partner Jail for rape of child, 8

A MAN with a history of stealing women’s underwear has been jailed for sexually abusing his partner’s eight- year- old daughter.

The 38- year- old man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, was sentenced in Townsville District Court for two counts of rape, four counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12, unlawful stalking, four counts of stealing, five counts of trespass, possessing dangerous drugs, possess utensils, contravene direction of requirement by police and two counts of breach of bail condition.

He was found guilty of the rape and indecent treatment charges after a three- day trial in the Townsville District Court in December 2017.

The court heard the man touched the girl’s bottom and vagina on two separate occasions.

Crown prosecutor Dominique Orr said the offences took place in the garage of the family home on September 5 and 8, 2016.

The court heard the stalking, trespass and stealing charges related to times he had entered the downstairs laundry of an Aitkenvale home and stolen a woman’s bras and underwear over a six- month period.

“Because she did not feel safe at home alone, she commenced doing her and her family’s washing at an alternative address,” Ms Orr said.

“She even took to counting each of the items of clothing she would wash at a time to ensure that she would become aware of anything that was missing.”

The court heard the man, originally from Maryborough, has a criminal history that included offences relating to breaking into houses to steal women’s underwear and film- ing skirts.

Ms Orr said the man had in the past broken into houses to steal women’s underwear as well as stealing underwear from clotheslines.

Defence barrister Scott Geeves said the stalking offence took place after he had been charged with the sexual offences.

“On his instructions stress played a large role in that type of offending conduct,” he said.

Mr Geeves said he understood the man had lodged an appeal against the sexual offences.

The man was sentenced to four- and- a- half years’ jail for rape, 12 months for indecent treatment, two years for stalking and three months for one of the breaches of bail.

He was convicted without further punishment for the other offences.

He will be eligible for parole on 31 January 2019. underneath women’s