Two men from the South-West have been sent to jail over sex offences committed on two boys over the course of more than a year.
The men, who cannot be named because it may reveal the identity of their victims, were sentenced this week in the Busselton District Court.
The first, who was 55-years-old and had previously been convicted of child sex offences overseas, was jailed for 11 years after pleading guilty to 58 separate offences, which were committed between late 2015 and early 2017.
The offences included indecently dealing with the boys, sexually penetrating them and attempting to sexually penetrate them, encouraging them to do indecent acts, procuring them to do indecent acts, indecently recording them, producing child exploitation material, and possessing child exploitation material.
He was sentenced to 11 years in jail and was made eligible for parole.
The other man, who was 59, was invited to join in the abuse of one of the boys and was jailed for four years. He was also made eligible for parole.
In sentencing the 55-year-old, Judge Laurie Levy said police had also found more than 13,000 photographs and 400 videos of child exploitation during a search of his property. The victims in the digital material were aged between four months and 13 years.
Judge Levy also raised questions about the man’s ability to live in Australia and work with community groups without supervision after he had committed child sex offences overseas.
“In a sense, your ability to carry out those tasks evolved because you simply failed to report, as you were required, on the ANCOR system,” Judge Levy said.
“Not surprisingly, (the victim’s) father is extremely annoyed about the failure of the system.”
The attacks on the main victim occurred on several occasions, after the man had groomed both him and his family.
“You have expressed insight into your offending, as well as high levels of shame and remorse,” Judge Levy said.
“You have expressed an inability to control your actions. Numerous factors contributed to your offending, including, in the opinion of the psychologist, your own sexual abuse, the lack of parental affection and nurturing and suppression of inappropriate sexual issues and also your own sexual confusion.
“You were significantly influenced by feelings of loneliness and depression in Australia.”
In sentencing the 59-year-old, Judge Levy said his crimes had cost him his business and his reputation.
“The psychologist suggests that you have exhibited high levels of guilt and shame,” Judge Levy said.
“You claim to have become involved in these offences because of a sense of obligation to (the other offender).
“You do have a high level of empathy and insight into the impact of your offending.
“The psychologist suggests you are at a very low risk of reoffending in a similar way.”
Judge Levy also revealed the terrible toll the incidents had on the main victim and his family.
“As I say, and have already remarked, the level of the impact of … these offences cannot be underestimated,” he said.
“… (the victim’s) father has set out extensively the ways in which the family has been absolutely devastated by this conduct. The relationships between the family members – extended family members – are irretrievably broken.
“Financial pressures are the least of the problems. The consequences for (the victim) have been enormous. I’ve received the psychologist’s report in relation to the effect upon him.
“The psychologist speaks about his intrusive thoughts, persistent suicidal ideation, dissociation and symptomology consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“There is other elevations in relation to anxiety, depression, sexual concerns, sexual distress, dissociation and other areas… These children have entirely had their innocence of youth removed from them by your conduct.”
