Father jailed for rape

TO many who knew him, this Gold Coast father was “honest, hardworking and generous”.

Behind closed doors he was digitally raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter in the same bed he shared with his wife.

He continued to sexually assault the girl well into her early teenage years.

During yesterday’s sentencing hearing in the Southport District Court for the 55-yearold man, who cannot be named to protect the child, it was revealed he digitally violated the 11-year-old girl on 60 occasions across seven and a half months in 2011.

The court heard the youngster kept a chart “as a record” of the times she was abused.

The man was convicted by a jury of several offences including rape, maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 12, indecent treatment of a child under 16 in his care and several other counts of rape and indecent treatment of a child, following a trial this year.

Crown prosecutor Nicholas McGhee described the offending as “bold” and “brazen”.

Several “glowing” references were tendered to the court by the man’s defence barrister.

Judge David Kent QC described them as “around the best I’ve seen ... for 30 years”.

The court heard the impact on the child had been “understandably severe”.

The man was given a head sentence of five years’ jail for maintaining a sexual relationship with a child. He was sentenced to several jail terms for the other offences, to be served concurrently. He has lodged an appeal against all convictions.

Members of his family yelled “scum bag” and “lies” as the victim left the courtroom.