Supreme Court Sentences Grandfather to Prison for Abusing Young Granddaughter

An elderly man who sexually abused his young granddaughter for almost five years has been jailed for four and a half years.

Warning: This story contains references to child sexual abuse that may be disturbing to some readers.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has admitted a charge of persistent abuse, saying he touched the girl inappropriately on around 30 to 40 occasions since she was just six.

Chief Justice Alan Blow said the man, a “first offender”, was in his 60s when he began committing offences.

“What you did was a serious breach of trust placed in you by your child and your daughter, the child’s mother,” Judge Blow said.

“You took advantage of her, you exploited her vulnerability. The psychological impact on her was extreme.”

Justice Blow said the girl had dropped out of school, suffered from persistent flashbacks and had decided to move interstate, leaving her without her family and childhood friends.

“Your crime affected her entire home, not just her,” Judge Blow said.

The court heard he suffers from conditions that will negatively impact his time in prison, including osteoporosis, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart problems.

“The only appropriate sentence is a long period of imprisonment,” Judge Blow said.

“I will impose the shortest period of parole ineligibility possible because you are a first-time offender and your age is low.”

His four-year and six-month prison sentence was backdated to November 1, 2023, and will be eligible for parole after two years and three months.