Ex- Australian Public Figure Imprisoned for Over 60 Months for Sex Crimes
One-time Australian politician found guilty of sexually abusing two individuals connected through his position has been sentenced to nearly six years in jail.
Case Details
The defendant, 44, has been in custody since last summer after judicial panel found him guilty of raping an individual and indecently assaulting a second person, in multiple events in over two years.
Ward acted for the coastal town of Kiama in the NSW legislature from over a decade ago. He stepped down as a Liberal Party official when the claims emerged in recent years but refused to quit his seat and returned to office in 2023.
Sentencing Details
Justice the judicial figure evaluated his visual impairment of vision impairment in her sentence and concluded "no different consequence other than incarceration is appropriate".
The defendant, who appeared via digital means at the courthouse, will undergo at least nearly four years in detention before he can request early release.
Justice Shead stated the court needs to "send a stern message to like-minded offenders that sexual offendings like these will be met with salutary penalties".
Case Background
The judge added the defendant had "avoided punishment for multiple years and lived freely without a treatment or punishment for his crimes during that period".
After his conviction, the politician launched a unsuccessful appeal attempt to stay in his position and left office just prior to the congress could oust him.
Defense attorneys has stated earlier he aims to contest the guilty verdict.
Case Facts
His nine-week trial in the judicial venue was told that he brought a drunk young adult to his residence in the first incident and sexually abused him on multiple occasions, despite the victim's efforts to oppose.
In 2015, he sexually assaulted a young political staffer at his residence after an event at the legislature.
He had claimed the 2015 rape didn't happen, and that the first victim was inaccurate regarding their encounter from 2013.
However, prosecutors contended that notable parallels in the testimonies of the victims, who were unacquainted with each other, proved they were accurate in their accounts.
A jury considered for multiple days before announcing the findings of guilt.
The political exit prompted a replacement vote in his constituency in autumn, which was won by the Labor candidate.
