NSW man sentenced over ‘depraved’ abuse of stepdaughter

A 45-year-old man has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for the “extreme”, “depraved” and “derogatory” sexual abuse of his teenage stepdaughter spanning three years.In his sentencing, Judge William Fitzsimmons noted the offending constituted “the most profound abuse of trust”, targeting a child he had been a father figure to since she was just three years old, and a girl he was 25 years older than.The stepfather stored hard drives with child abuse material in the ceiling of the family home.Matt WillisThe offending involved “persistent”, “repeated and unrelenting abuse of a young girl” which became “increasingly depraved” and degrading as the years progressed, Fitzsimmons found.“The offender target[ed] her vulnerabilities and [there was] a significant power imbalance in the victim being overborne by the offender’s position of authority,” Fitzsimmons wrote.The abuse began in 2021 when the girl was 15 years old, with the man helping the girl take photos for Instagram to improve her confidence and body image. It quickly escalated with the stepfather directing the girl to model in increasingly sexualised poses and outfits and taking over 1000 photos, before escalating to aggravated sexual intercourse.The abuse mostly occurred in the family home in the Illawarra region, south of Sydney, where “the victim was entitled to feel safe,” Fitzsimmons noted.The court heard the man had groomed the girl, exploited her at a vulnerable time of her life, and treated her as an object, giving her “cold and uncaring” instructions to keep the abuse secret, including from his wife, the girl’s mother.He logged every instance of the abuse in a spreadsheet, showing the child a list of his offending.In September 2024, the victim, then 18, disclosed the abuse to a friend at school. The principal and the victim’s mother were notified, and the victim reported the abuse to police. Police raided the family home, finding four external hard drives hidden in the garage roof under the insulation containing child abuse material.The police also found videos of the man perpetrating the abuse against his stepdaughter in a hidden folder of his secret phone. He was arrested that day and has been in custody since.The man denied having a sexual attraction to children.In her victim impact statement, the young woman detailed how the abuse had impacted every aspect of her life, including her education, sense of self-worth and her relationships with others, as well as her relationship with her mother during the years of abuse.The woman said she struggled with trusting others, leading to decreased empathy and kindness, and that she no longer believed in second chances or forgiveness.“Because of every single thing I went through, I wake up a stronger person, but I’m also still that terrified 15-year-old girl crying in her room, terrified for her own safety,” she wrote.The man pleaded guilty to 17 offences, including three counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child, eight counts of sexual intercourse with a child under care, child abuse production and possession charges and other sexual offences against the girl.He was given a 25 per cent discount on his sentence for his early guilty plea, and will be eligible for parole in September 2041.Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. Amber Schultz is a crime and justice reporter with The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners