A registered child sex offender who has previously served time behind bars for abusing a young girl was sent back to prison this week.
Liam Eltin Kearney, 56, appeared in Bunbury District Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent dealing with a child under 13 years old.
The offences happened in January this year at a camping ground near Bunbury.
Kearney, who has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, had been living at the camp site in a tent since his release from prison and after an unsuccessful job search up north.
The court was told Kearney befriended the mother of a nine-year-old girl and used to drink with her.
The girl had stayed in his tent on six occasions, sharing his air mattress.
The state prosecutor told the court on three separate occasions, Kearney grabbed the young girl’s hand and placed it on his penis, over his shorts.
Each time, the girl pulled her hand away and, on the last occasion, ran from Kearney’s tent.
Counsel for Kearney said his client, who had a long-term drinking problem, was drunk when the offences happened.
The lawyer said Kearney’s actions had not been calculated, rather, they “just happened”.
The prosecutor called for an immediate prison term, and cited elements of persistence and grooming in her submission.
“Clearly the offender has a sexual interest in girls,” she said.
District Court Judge Andrew Stavrianou said any offence involving sexual abuse of children was serious, and cited a victim impact statement that detailed the significant impact Kearney’s offences had on his victim.
“The consequences for victims are ordinarily devastating and enduring,” he said.
Judge Stavrianou sentenced Kearney to an immediate prison term of two years and nine months.
The sentence was backdated to January 20, and Kearney was made eligible for parole.
