Man guilty of repeat sexual abuse

A “brazen” and repeat child sex offender is expected to spend more time behind bars after being found guilty of sexually abusing a girl as young as eight years old.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, was convicted by jury of four counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13 years and one count of indecent dealings with a child under 13 years in Albany District Court last week.

The court heard the man, who needed to be helped to the dock by wheelchair, sexually abused the girl from when she was eight years old at locations including her Middleton Beach home, a motel and an isolated area of Mt Melville on two occasions

Albany Detectives charged the man following a complaint in 2015, with the offences allegedly occurring between 2007 and 2009.

In her closing submissions, State prosecutor Joanne Andretich said the frequency of indecent conduct had become a blur to the victim who was “self-blaming, embarrassed and ashamed”. “It happened so often she was defeated,” she said.

“It became part of her life, they all ran into one another.

“Given the amount of times, it was brazen he got away with it.”

Ms Andretich pointed to the man’s prior convictions against children aged seven, eight and nine between 1989-2001.

He was convicted in 2011 of six counts of indecent dealing with a child under 13 years and two counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13 years. The offending relating to the current charges stopped when the girl reached the age of 10, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Anthony Eyres said while there was nothing sadder than the alleged abuse of vulnerable children, he questioned the reliability and detail of the evidence and why a complaint was not laid for at least seven years.

He said the victim was never threatened to keep her mouth shut and the complaint was laid when the man was no longer part of her life.

Judge Michael Gething adjourned the case for sentencing in Perth District Court on August 7.