Former social worker David Whitcroft, 68, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, plus a two-year community corrections order, after pleading guilty to five charges of sexual penetration involving Mr Titan when he was a ward of the state at the Sunshine Boys' Hostel.in 1982.

Rather than providing pastoral care and vocational guidance, Whitcroft, then aged 34, would take Titan for weekends at a farm near Torquay.

There the vulnerable 14-year-old was plied with marijuana and scotch, offered naked massages, and abused.

"He couldn't wait to get at me. I begged him not to do it, but he knew that if I left the boys' home I'd be thrown into Turana [Youth Training Centre]," Mr Titan told Fairfax Media.

The predatory behaviour only ended when Mr Titan met the woman who would become his first wife, after which he told Mr Whitcroft "that he wanted the abuse to stop".

The 49-year-old grew up in Flemington's housing commission flats but says his single mother was unable to cope with his tearaway tendencies.

By the age of 14, he had run away from home and was looking after a dozen camels at Ashton's Circus in Burnley Park, Richmond.

"I fed them and watered them and led them around the ring. They even dressed me up up as an Arab as part of the show," Mr Titan said.

"When I rang up Mum and asked if I could come home, she said she couldn't handle me, so she sent me to the Sunshine Boys' Home."

David Whitcroft at the County Court in Melbourne. Photo: Jason South

Two years ago, Mr Titan gave a statement to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, who referred the allegations to Victoria Police.

Whitcroft was arrested last year and made a full confession.

Sitting in the Melbourne County Court dock on Tuesday morning wearing large black headphones to help him hear his sentence, Whitcroft was told by Judge Duncan Allen his crimes were toward the severe end of the scale, because of his "position of trust, the ongoing nature of the offending, and the impact on the victim".

He faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for his crimes, but judge Allen found that was mitigated by his confession, early guilty plea and remorse.

Two young men who Whitcroft had taught in his role as a rowing coach also testified to Whitcroft's good character in court.

Despite prosecution requests for any sentence to be wholly served in jail, Judge Allen decided to impose a compound sentence of imprisonment and a community corrections order.

"You told police that you were sorry for what you had done, and you had no intention of hurting the victim," Judge Allen said in his judgment.

"He took away my innocence, he used me to fulfil his sexual fantasies", Mr Titan wrote in a victim impact statement.

Mr Titan believes there are other victims, who are yet to come forward.

He says Whitcroft had regular access to young people for several decades through his role as a social worker and his association with rowing clubs in Melbourne and Geelong.

"I know there's others and I challenge them to come forward and find peace."

After a long career in union politics, Mr Titan's decision to come forward has had a profound impact on his life.

He now describes himself as a "broken unit", who suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress. He has attempted suicide in the past.

When the offending happened, Whitcroft urged Mr Titan not to tell anyone for fear he would lose his job.

Mr Titan decided to come forward about the offending as a way of healing himself for the crimes that had been committed against him.

He says telling his grim story to the Royal Commission and seeing his tormenter face court has has given him some solace.

For help and advice: Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 Lifeline 131 114