Ballarat man loses appeal for school sex calls

A MAN who left disturbing sexual phone messages on answering machines at a number of schools across Ballarat has failed to win an appeal against his 12-month prison sentence.Wayne Holt, 39, from Ballarat, was blown a kiss by an elderly supporter in the County Court in Ballarat yesterday, but had little else to smile about.Judge Liz Gaynor re-imposed the original sentence — without a parole period — which was handed down in the Magistrates Court downstairs in September, saying she was concerned about the living situation Holt would move back into if his sentence were cut short.Crown prosecutor Carolene Gwynn detailed Holt’s offending, which dates back to September last year, saying he left voice messages at two secondary schools and one primary school in the Ballarat area, repeatedly requesting that a female uniform be left out the front of the school for him.At one school where he left at least two messages, Holt said he found the girls in uniform very sexy, while at another he said he had been watching the schoolgirls for several days and “almost had one”.At the primary school he said he was getting excited by the students and wanted to have sex with one of them.For Holt, Jo Swinney argued that despite his intellectual disability, her client had learnt the consequences of his actions.“He can see the nexus between his offending and going into custody,” she said.Follow @ballaratcourier