Four months jail for historic sex offences

A County Court judge who said a former Trafalgar businessman breached the trust of three teenage boys for his own sexual gratification has jailed him for four months.

Ronald Petch, 60, pleaded guilty to charges including six counts of indecent acts with a child under 16 and recklessly causing injury when he appeared at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The charges related to offences involving three teenage boys over a period of a decade to 2007.

Other charges included possession of child pornography, possession of a firearm, storing a firearm in an unreasonable manner and possession of cannabis

Judge John Smallwood sentenced Mr Petch to 13 months imprisonment, with nine months of the sentence suspended.

He said these young people had come to Mr Petch’s store through various connections.

“Each of these offences took place where you were in a position of trust.

“The offence is serious. It’s a breach of trust of young boys for your own sexual gratification.

“I don’t think you will do it again. But when this takes place in a country town the effects are prolonged.

Judge Smallwood said victim impact statements of the three complainants indicated they had felt shame, humiliation, anxiety and ongoing psychological problems that they will endure for the rest of their lives.

He said the offences had caused “great anxiety” in Trafalgar and people began to question if it may have happened to their own children.

“You have been ostracised in the town of Trafalgar and have sold the business and left the town. You have also suffered threats and your shop was graffitied,” he said.

Judge Smallwood said the offences did not involve penetration and were the low end of this type of offending.

However, he said the nature of some of the offences meant he had to serve a custodial sentence.

The court heard Mr Petch was originally charged in 2015 and the matter had taken three years to be resolved after Mr Petch continued to deny the offences and pleaded not guilty at a committal hearing in 2016.

The court heard Mr Petch came to know the three boys through various connections with his business and through his interest in speedway racing.

Crown prosecutor Jane Warren outlined the nature of the indecent act offences.

She said the charges related to offences in which Mr Petch indecently touched the boys over and under their clothing.

Ms Warren said Mr Petch made sexually inappropriate comments to the victims.

Prosecution said one of the victims allegedly stole money from Mr Petch’s store and Mr Petch regularly told him “I know you’ve been stealing money.”

The court was told the victim was then paid money, between $100 and $300, after Mr Petch had touched him in his home on several occasions.

The court heard the offences occurred at various locations including his Trafalgar business, at his Trafalgar home and at the Rosedale speedway.

The charge of recklessly causing injury related to Mr Petch using a cattle prod on one of the victims.

Defence barrister Leonard Hartnett and instructing solicitor Kim McFarlane of McFarlane Criminal Lawyers represented Mr Petch.

Mr Hartnett said his client realised it was a “prolonged period of inappropriate behaviour” and he was remorseful.

He said Mr Petch had felt the full weight of community displeasure at what he had done.

He said Mr Petch stopped attending football, the motorway and stopped attending the local shops.

The court heard Mr Petch raised his two children on his own after his wife had left and had been a partner in a family business until he sold his share.

Two victim impact statements were read to the court. One of the victim’s said Mr Petch had ruined his life and he was “nothing but a waste of a human being.”

Judge Smallwood said the nature of three of the charges classified Mr Petch as a serious sexual offender and he would be placed on the sex offenders’ register.

He said Mr Petch’s prospects of rehabilitation should be good and his chances of reoffending were slight.

The nine months suspended sentence was suspended for two years.

Judge Smallwood said had he fought the charges and been convicted by a jury, he would have faced a three year sentence.