Molester caught out

Man retreated when wife arrived home

A NAKED 57-year-old sugar cane worker was about to molest his step-granddaughter when his wife came home, a court heard.

The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the child, was at home alone with the girl in his house south of Cairns in May last year.

Cairns District Court heard the man had entered the girl’s bedroom at night as she slept.

“She woke up and saw him naked on her bed,” Crown prosecutor Claudia Georgouras said. “He was pulling her pants down – he heard her grandmother come home and he left the room.”

One month later he approached the girl in the kitchen and tried to force her to touch his genitalia.

“This was predatory behaviour,” Ms Georgouras said.

Five months later he attended Edmonton police station in an attempt to ward off rumours he had abused the girl.

“He had heard she was telling people he had sexually offended against her,” Ms Georgouras said.

“He told them he wanted to make admissions that he had a sexual intent; he wanted to touch her but stopped himself. It was a preventive interview.”

The man pleaded guilty to indecent dealing of a child under 16 while under care and attempted indecent dealing of a child under 16.

Judge Dean Morzone described the man’s confession as “most unusual”.

“He couldn’t imagine for one minute that police were going to make a note of it and file it away,” he said.

“He was in denial of the offending until his plea.”

He sentenced the man to six months in jail, suspended for 12 months and placed him on probation for 12 months.

“There was a 44-year age difference – the child was under your care which required a degree of trust,” Judge Morzone said.

“Your conduct was vile to a young vulnerable child.

“You had insight into your offending but it was disturbing that you denied the conduct of acting on it.”

THERE WAS A 44YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE – THE CHILD WAS UNDER YOUR CARE WHICH REQUIRED A DEGREE OF TRUST JUDGE DEAN MORZONE