Paedophile, 84, raped his 10-year-old stepdaughter with ‘hideous regularity’ and demanded sex in return for money for lollies
- Man raped stepdaughter when she was aged between 10 and 14 in mid-1970s
- The paedophile started by touching her over the clothes before abuse escalated
- The Melbourne man later progressed to forcing her to perform oral sex on him
- Girl told her mother about abuse at age 12, but was grounded instead of believed
- His counsel asked for suspended jail time, but judge said prison was only option
A man betrayed the trust of his stepdaughter ‘in the most despicable way’ by sexually abusing her and must be punished with prison time, a judge has said.
Judge Frances Hogan described the Melbourne man’s abuse of the girl, when she was aged between 10 and 14 in the early to mid-1970s, as ‘insidious’ and occurring with ‘hideous regularity’.
Now in her 50s, the victim was in Victoria County Court to face the man she once considered her father, and who had made her feel special, calling her princess and angel.
A man betrayed the trust of his stepdaughter ‘in the most despicable way’ by sexually abusing her and must be punished with prison time, a judge has said
The abuser, who turns 85 on Wednesday, has been taken into custody ahead of a sentence hearing next week.
The man admitted the abuse earlier this year, pleading guilty to three indecent assault charges and one of gross indecency, but the judge said it came late and she saw little evidence of remorse.
The abuse began when he would drive her to a local shopping centre and sit her on his lap to steer the car around the empty car park on Sundays for two years.
He first touched her over her clothes, then under. The abuse escalated when she was 12, beginning when she went into his bedroom to ask for money to buy lollies.
The man pointed to loose change on his dresser and told her she could have it ‘if you just stand there’ while he touched her, later progressing to forcing her to perform oral sex.
It occurred regularly until she was 14.
If she wanted money or clothing he would look up and down her body and she knew what was expected, prosecutor Damien Hannan said.
‘She was lured into much of this by feeling special, by being rewarded and by being threatened – it was to be kept a secret. And it was,’ he said.
Now in her 50s, the victim was in Victoria County Court (pictured) to face the man she once considered her father, and who had made her feel special, calling her princess and angel
The girl told her mother about the abuse when she was 12, but she was not believed and was instead grounded for two weeks.
She kept quiet for decades after that, before telling her brother, who confronted the man.
‘I know I’ve done wrong but I can’t change things,’ he replied.
It took another decade before she went to police.
The man’s lawyer, Kellie Blair, said he was suffering and at a time when he should be loved, cherished and surrounded by family, ‘he has none of that’.
She said the man had cognitive difficulties, suffered depression and had previously attempted suicide.
Ms Blair called for a suspended sentence, adding that any prison term could be a life sentence.
Judge Hogan said prison was the only appropriate option.