A young girl’s childhood was destroyed after a man she considered an uncle forced her to touch his genitals, a court has heard.
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William Girvan, 64, was found guilty in the ACT Supreme Court in July of committing two counts of indecent acts on a child under 16.
The court heard the incidents occurred at the girl’s family home sometime between 2001 and 2006.
Girvan had been close family friend, and the victim and her siblings regarded him as an uncle.
The victim said on one occasion Girvan hugged her, pushed her hand down his pants and forced her to squeeze his erect penis.
About a week later he again pushed her hands down his pants to touch his genitals.
The victim said nothing until 2009 when she confided in a school friend and then her mother.
Girvan denied the allegations and was found guilty after a judge alone trial.
Victim impact statements from the victim and her mother were read out at a Supreme Court sentencing hearing on Friday.
The victim said she watches movies and understands how the victims are feeling.
She said cars and other men with a similar walk remind her of him.
Her mother described the victim’s sense of fear and paranoia, which manifested in her often sleeping in her parent’s room and repeatedly checking if the doors were locked.
The mother said the victim had grown up to become a beautiful person with a bright future, but Girvan had destroyed her childhood.
“From today, you never existed in our lives,” the mother’s statement said.
The court heard Girvan had initially continued to proclaim his innocence to a presentence report author.
He said he could not remember the incidents, but accepted the victim had no reason to lie.
The defence said he had suffered depression and pain to think he had harmed children.
Justice Richard Refshauge said the offending would result in a prison sentence, he just had to decide how that punishment would be served.
Justice Refshauge will hand down sentence next week.