Ballarat man found guilty of 10 child sexual offences
Joshua Eades, 30, was found guilty on all 10 child sexual abuse charges.
A jury has found Joshua Eades, 30, from Ballarat, guilty of 10 child sexual offences: eight counts of sexual penetration of a child and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 16. Prosecutors told the court that Eades molested the young victim on six occasions in 2024, with each incident lasting about 30 to 60 minutes.
Evidence showed the victim had reported the abuse to others and written it down. The prosecution also presented that the victim tried to pull away and elbow Eades off during the abuse, and suffered pain afterwards.
The verdict came on the third trial attempt; juries had been discharged on two previous occasions. Eades was remanded in custody and a plea hearing was adjourned to a date to be fixed.
- October 27, 2026
- Verdict date
- Six occasions in 2024, 30-60 minutes each
- Abuse timeline
- County Court of Victoria, Ballarat
- Court location
Why it mattersThe conviction secures accountability and protection for the victim; it also ends a lengthy trial process after two previous mistrials.
AustraliaChild sexual abuse convictions in Victoria are subject to strict sentencing guidelines; this case demonstrates the court system's ability to pursue justice even after initial trials failed.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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