A BALLARAT church youth group leader has been jailed for 14 months after he was found guilty in the County Court at Ballarat yesterday of sexually assaulting a boy in his care.Darrell Cocking, 75, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault with a male under 16 and two counts of gross indecency with a male person under 16.The offences occurred between July 1, 1980, and February 28, 1981, while the victim, then 12 years old, was a member of a Ballarat church youth group.Judge Barbara Cotterall sentenced him to 34 months imprisonment, with 20 months to be suspended for three years.Cocking will be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.The victim's mother wept with joy as the sentence was read out and said justice had been served."We put our sons in his trust," she said."I thought he was a family friend."It was very difficult for (my son) to come forward, it wasn't easy, he was very brave."In her sentencing, Judge Cotterall said Cocking had breached the trust of the church congregation and the boy's parents.A victim impact statement read to the court revealed the victim, now aged 42, had low self-esteem, and trouble with relationships and holding on to a job."He lives in constant fear that something of this nature will happen to his two sons," she said.Judge Cotterall said Cocking had destroyed the innocence of a child in the one place his parents thought he would be safe.In her sentencing, she took into account his age and commitment to the community since the offences took place."You are physically and emotional different to the man who so gravely offended against a ... boy in your care," she said.The victim's mother said the decision had cemented her faith in the justice system."It's been a long time coming," she said."We couldn't have hoped for a better result."It's been very difficult for my son, more difficult than I could understand. Hopefully now he will be able to move on."