A former South Australia Police officer has been found guilty of sexually abusing his teenage stepdaughter.
The man pleaded not guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one of indecent assault, claiming his 15-year-old victim made up the allegations because she hated him and/or fantasised about having sex with him.
On September 10 a jury returned guilty verdicts on the first two charges but cleared him of indecent assault, the Advertiser reported.
The jury heard that the cop’s 15-year-old victim told a counsellor and her boyfriend that she had been sexually abused by an older man in September or October 2021, and that the abuse took place after the pair had been drinking at their family home.
But when the officer found out the victim had revealed the abuse he called her mother, admitted what he had done and said he would commit suicide.
Police then found the man by a cliff after a concern for welfare call, and made admissions about his offending to an attending officer.
Prosecutor Ben Sturm told the court during the trial: “He admitted on the phone to [the victim’s mother] that he had ‘fucked up’, that he kissed [the victim] and did more or other things. He didn’t want to say what those other things were.
“He admitted to [the officer who found him at the clifftop] where he said ‘it’s about my step daughter, I fucked up’.”
Mr Sturm said that those statements were conclusive of the man’s guilt, and told the jury that the 10-year veteran of the police force also told his victim he would kill himself if she told anyone.
Defence lawyer Paul Rice KC told the jury that his client was innocent and that the victim had a motive for making a false allegation.
“She hated him and/or she fantasised being with him in some sexual way and he did not reciprocate and she decided it was time for him to go,” Mr Rice told the court.
“She made, in our submission, a false allegation and was on the tiger’s back and has decided to ride it out.”
Mr Rice said the officer’s suicidal behaviour was “not an acknowledgment of guilt, but of defeat and despair” and said the jury should have reasonable doubt about his client’s guilt.
The cop will be sentenced later this year.
