MAN JAILED FOR RAPE, INDECENT ASSAULT

A TOOWOOMBA man with no previous criminal history has been jailed for three years after pleading guilty to raping and indecently dealing with a girl.

The man, who is not named so as to protect the identity of girl, was a friend of the family to the point he was trusted with the girl and her siblings, Toowoomba District Court heard.

However, between April 2014 and January 2018, he had twice indecently dealt with the girl and once digitally raped her while the family was swimming in a dam near Emerald, the court has heard.

The girl was aged between eight and 12 at the time while he was aged 48 to 52.

The now 55-year-old pleaded guilty to all three counts.

The victim eventually told her mother about the incidents in April last year, the court heard.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC said the offending was a “gross breach of trust” and sentenced the man to three years in jail, suspended after one year for four years, and placed him on two years probation.