"Sole carer" dad jailed for showering with 14-year-old daughter, sexually abusing her (Bundaberg, Australia)

UNNAMED DAD was the "sole carer" (custodial father) of his 14-year-old daughter when he started sexually abusing her. In this case, the mother had (reportedly) died a few years before in a suicide. He gets just 9 months in jail.

http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2010/06/25/man-jailed-after-showering-with-his-14-year-old-da/

Father jailed after shower
25th June 2010

A BUNDABERG father has been jailed after he admitted to showering with his 14-year-old daughter.

At Bundaberg District Court yesterday, Judge Richard Jones heard the 46-year-old man had been swimming with his daughter on Australia Day, 2007.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark told the court the man later entered the bathroom where his daughter was showering, and got into the shower with her.

“He was naked and asked her to scrub his back... he had an erection,” Mr Stark said.

“He asked her if she had ever seen a penis or touched one.”

Later that day, the man insisted on giving the girl a massage, Mr Stark told the court.

“He moved his hands towards her breasts, and she moved away,” he said.

“But he briefly continued to massage her breasts.

“His actions were an obvious breach of trust for his natural daughter, who was particularly vulnerable as he was her sole carer after the suicide of her mother.”

The man was charged with attempting to indecently deal with a child and common assault.

The defence counsel said the man had suffered a series of tragic incidents since the suicide of his wife in 1998.

“The same year, he was diagnosed with bone cancer, which was treated until 2004,” defence barrister Kylie Hillard said.

As well as suffering several health problems, the man was also the sole carer for his 16-year-old son, she said.

However, the judge said the serious nature of the act warranted a custodial sentence.

He sentenced the man to nine months imprisonment, suspended after three months.