Sinister stepdad jailed

A MAN who repeatedly raped his two stepdaughters in the 1990s and maintained a sexual relationship with the younger girl for more than seven years, has been given a 14- year jail sentence.

The 61- year- old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faced court to be sen- tenced after a trial for six counts of rape, three counts of indecent treatment of children under 16, two counts of indecent treatment of girls under 12, maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child and indecent treatment of a child under 16 involving the showing of pictures in a magazine.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Walklate said the youngest stepdaughter was only four years old when the man first sexually abused her. He first raped her when she was seven and did so repeatedly until she was 13.

Mr Walklate said the man blackmailed the children to keep quiet about the offences.

“He told [ her] not to tell anyone or daddy would go to jail … she wouldn’t have a daddy and mummy wouldn’t have a husband,” he said.

A victim impact statement from the younger of the two sisters said the sexual abuse was normalised and “fear was instilled into me to ensure I kept my mouth shut”.

“My innocence was stripped from me at such a young age that I never knew anything different,” she wrote.

“I don’t doubt there were good times in my childhood, but I struggle recalling any.”

Defence barrister Ted Bassett said the man had not reoffended since 2006.

Judge John Coker said the man groomed the girls over an extended period of time, including telling them that their mother wouldn’t mind if he was the first person with whom they experienced a sexual relationship.

The man was sentenced to 14 years for maintaining an unlawful relationship with a child, eight years for four counts of rape, 10 years for rape, nine years for rape and three years for each of the indecent treatment charges.

He will be eligible for parole after seven years.