Kyle David Kennedy on Wednesday appeared in the dock of the County Court in Ballarat flanked by two police officers as an extra officer and a security guard sat in the public gallery nearby. 

Kennedy pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16, one charge of an indecent act with a child under 16 and one charge of possessing a prohibited weapon.

The sexual abuse, which included digital penetration and oral sex, occurred in Sebastopol between May 1 and 18 last year.

The victim’s family, including her brother and father, attended the court and were supported by a police detective. 

The brother turned around and defiantly stared down Kennedy as he walked into the dock, becoming tearful as details of the abuse against his sister were read out.

Kennedy, who was living in Alfredton and working for an earth-moving company before being arrested by police, sat quietly during the proceeding yesterday morning.

Kennedy’s defence lawyer asked for the case to be adjourned so a neuropsychological assessment could be prepared, saying his client’s offending was of an impulsive nature and a previous report had mentioned lesions on his brain.

However, prosecutors disputed the relevance of a neuropsychological assessment, which looks into how somebody’s brain functions, questioning if brain lesions could explain Kennedy’s sexual offending.

Judge Liz Gaynor said she was reluctant to adjourn the case but that Kennedy’s brain lesions should be looked into.

The court heard Kennedy was addicted to pornography “of a deviant nature”. 

He was charged with the firearm offence after a fake gun was found in Alfredton on May 21.

Judge Gaynor addressed the victim’s family after Kennedy was led back into custody by police.

“I know this is difficult and that you thought it would go ahead today,” she said.

“I want to make an acknowledgement of your difficulty.”

The court did not disclose the age of the girl.

The case was adjourned until April.