Former George Town man acquitted of persistent child sexual abuse
A 62-year-old man was found not guilty at trial. He faced charges of repeatedly sexually abusing his stepdaughter between 2003 and 2011.
A jury in Launceston found a 62-year-old man not guilty of persistent child sexual abuse. The jury decided he was not guilty after just over a day of discussion.
The man also faced charges of rape, aggravated assault, and indecent assault. On those charges, he was found not guilty on all counts except one aggravated assault charge.
The jury could not agree on that one charge. The prosecution case was based on three alleged incidents across an eight-year period.
The defence argued it was unlikely such assaults would happen repeatedly in public places without any witnesses. No family members said they heard anything, even though the house had thin walls.
The defendant remains on bail. The state must still decide what to do about the one charge where the jury could not agree.
- 2003 to 2011
- Alleged period
- Supreme Court in Launceston
- Trial location
- October 29, 2026
- Verdict date
- Just over a day
- Jury deliberation
Why it mattersNot guilty verdicts in child abuse cases depend on the evidence and how reliable the witnesses are. This verdict shows what the jury thought of the prosecution's case. It does not say that the actions did not happen.
AustraliaNo immediate wider impact; the case involved Tasmanian courts and a local matter, though it reflects the challenges prosecutors face in building abuse cases across long time periods.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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