Snowy Valleys man jailed over aggravated sexual assault of teenage girl

Wagga District Court Judge Gordon Lerve sentenced the offender to a maximum of six years and six months on Tuesday for the charges of sexually touching a child 10 years or older and under 16 years, travelling to meet a child over 14 groomed for sexual activity, and aggravated sexual intercourse with a child over 14 and under 16.

The offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared via video link in a green jail uniform and wiped his eyes and nose when told he would definitely be imprisoned on a full-time basis.

The offences were committed in a public park on two occasions early last year.

Judge Lerve said the man's offending was serious given the age gap of more than two decades, that the acts were not part of an isolated incident and the fact that he was in a position of trust in relation to the victim.

"The offender cultivated this relationship for the sole purpose of sexual gratification," Judge Lerve said.

The offender started communicating with the victim via the smartphone messaging app Snapchat in 2019.

"The messages became increasingly sexual and flirtatious," Judge Lerve said.

"You sent her sexual fantasy stories and made clear your intent to have sex with the victim."

The offender requested and received photos of the victim in a bikini and underwear in the lead up to a request to meet in a park.

Judge Lerve said the offender later became jealous when the victim started seeing "age appropriate" males and sent her videos of himself committing self-harm and talked about wanting to take his own life.

Judge Lerve said the girl had read a "powerful and eloquent" victim impact statement to the court which outlined her "significant emotional harm" in the short and long-term.

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The man's defence submitted that he was remorseful, as demonstrated by his statement to a psychologist that "I've ruined her life".

Judge Lerve said he could not find the man remorseful due to the contents of a phone call with the victim that was recorded by police, but did find he was of low risk of reoffending and had a good chance at rehabilitation.

Police searched the man's house in late 2020 and found a silver ring belonging to the victim and underwear that the man had worn in photos he had sent via Snapchat, which led to his arrest a day later.

The man's sentence was backdated to the date of his arrest, as he had been in custody since that time, and he will become eligible for parole in 2025.

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