StepdadS pleads not guilty to rape

A North Queensland man who police have alleged raped his stepdaughter over a five-year period has pleaded not guilty in court as the trial begins in Townsville District Court this week.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, has pleaded not guilty to nine counts of rape and one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 12.

Crown prosecutor Shannon Sutherland told the jury, which was made up of five women, seven men and one reserved member, that from 2017 to 2022 the stepfather would kiss the 10-year-old girl, “lick and nibble” her ears and helped shave her legs.

She told the jury the first instance in which the girl alleged she was raped was in 2018 when the man sat on her bed to comfort her while she couldn’t sleep before he started to rub her thighs and made his way to her genitals where he raped her with his finger, then his penis.

Ms Sutherland said the girl shared a bedroom with her sister, and during the alleged rapes the man would tell the sister to turn and face the wall.

The crown also said the girl was allegedly raped twice in the carport at their home and two times while they went camping.

“At 13 she left home for a week to get away from him and the rape stopped,” Ms Sutherland alleged.

The crown told the jury the girl claimed her siblings knew, but she never told her mother and in 2022 she came to the attention of police when she ran away from home.

Ms Sutherland said the girl’s siblings will say they only saw the stepfather hug and kiss the girl.

The trial which is expected to go for three to four days will feature evidence presented from the alleged victim, her siblings, her mother, her boyfriend, the defendant’s sons and police officers involved in the investigation.

Defence barrister Ross Malcomson who was instructed by Rennick Lawyers will maintain the offending never happened.

The trial will resume Tuesday.