A FORMER cricket coach who sexually abused boys in the 1990s has been jailed for almost six years.
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The man, who The Courier has chosen not to name for legal reasons, was sentenced in the County Court at Ballarat on Thursday in relation to the sexual abuse of two boys aged between 14 and 16, who he coached cricket.
The court heard that when the boys he coached turned 14-years-of-age, the man, aged 41, befriended them and took them to a farm in the Ballarat region where he gave them alcohol and cocaine.
He spoke to the boys about masturbation and played games, before he started to touch them, the court was told.
One victim recalled the man encouraging him more than his teammates at cricket, visiting him at his house and then inviting him to the farm.
In a victim impact statement, one of the victims said his memory of the abuse had made his relationships with other people difficult.
The man, now aged in his 60s, sat quietly in the dock while Judge Wendy Wilmoth read out the sentence.
Judge Wilmoth said the man’s breach of trust in his position as cricket coach was an important factor in his offending.
“The mothers allowed (their boys) to go away with you on weekends,” Judge Wilmoth said. “You knew it was wrong.”
Judge Wilmoth said the man’s offending was serious and warrented a lengthy prison sentence.
“You pleaded guilty at an early stage and I accept that as remorse. It has saved the complainants having to give evidence. You have reached aged 60 without reoffending.”
Judge Wilmoth sentenced the former cricket coach to five years and eight months’ jail, with a minimum of three years to be served. He was placed on the sex offenders register.
One of the man’s two supporters in the court room started crying as Judge Wilmoth made the sentence known.
The man had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of committing an indecent act with a child under 16 and three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16.
