Stepfather sentenced to nearly two decades for systematic sexual abuse of stepdaughters
A 37-year-old man will spend nearly two decades in prison for persistent sexual abuse of his stepdaughters.
The man pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Launceston on September 15 to two counts of persistent sexual abuse of a young person. The court heard he moved into the family home in August 2013 and began abusing his eldest stepdaughter almost immediately.
At least 10 instances were identified during a roughly four-year period. The judge said the abuse happened so regularly the girl thought it occurred daily.
Abuse of the younger stepdaughter began about two years later, when she was aged seven or eight. The offending came to light in March 2024 when the eldest disclosed the abuse to her mother.
The judge told the man: "Living with you must have been torture for them." He remains in custody.
- 18 years in prison
- Sentence length
- August 2013
- When he moved in
- March 2024
- When abuse disclosed
- 37 years old
- Offender's age
Why it mattersThe case underscores the vulnerability of children in blended families and the severity with which Australian courts now punish systematic child sexual abuse within the home.
AustraliaThe 18-year sentence reflects tough sentencing guidelines in Australian law for child sexual abuse, setting precedent for similar cases in Australian courts.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 8 d ago
