Man avoids jail for public sex acts
A Rushworth man who publicly exposed himself to women just three days after he had pleaded guilty to other sex crimes in court has escaped serving prison time.
Anthony Vanderdonk, 42, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exposure in a public place, engaging in sexual activity directed at another, behaving in an indecent manner in public, two counts of stalking, possessing child abuse material, using a carriage service to harass and committing an indictable offence while on bail.
The Shepparton Magistrates’ Court heard two victims had stopped to use toilets at the Numurkah Lions Park, with one inside the facilities washing her hands when she saw a cubicle door was open with Vanderdonk standing inside naked. He asked the victim, ‘‘Do you want to come in?”
The woman left as he began touching his penis. A second victim would then enter the toilet and be confronted by the still-naked man.
Vanderdonk was also observed masturbating while looking at the women.
The victims rang police, who located Vanderdonk nearby wearing clothes. He told police he was waiting for a female to return.
Vanderdonk had previously pleaded guilty to a number of charges on July 2.
It was heard he called his former case manager 78 times between April 5 and July 14, 2019, while he also admitted repeatedly calling another woman and once attending her home.
A computer seized in a search of Vanderdonk’s home contained 11 images classified as child abuse material.
He was also observed standing naked in Numurkah on December 9, 2020, before being found by police nearby in his car masturbating.
Defence counsel Laurence Waugh said his client’s offending was connected with methamphetamine use, which he said caused Vanderdonk to experience a ‘‘surging libido’’.
Mr Waugh said the incidents of public nudity were in the hope of attracting a sexual partner, which he called ‘‘very strange, very sad and frankly delusional’’. He said Vanderdonk was likely to engage in similar behaviour without ‘‘intensive targeted therapy’’.
Magistrate Lance Martin imposed a 24-month corrections order including 250 hours of community work. He said a jail sentence would impede Vanderdonk’s progress, adding the risk he posed to community would be addressed through ‘‘focused and intensive therapy’’.
“In reality, your conduct has given rise to the description you are a serial sex offender,” he said.
Mr Martin cautioned Vanderdonk any further offending would ‘‘in all likelihood’’ bring an immediate jail sentence, adding it was ‘‘inconceivable’’ he would receive any sentence other than prison.