Geraldton man charged over attempt to interfere in child-sex abuse court case

A Geraldton man facing child-sex abuse charges remains locked up after police accused him of using “codes” to communicate with people to get them to pressure the alleged victim — his teenage daughter — to withdraw her complaints. The 55-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was due to be considered for a home detention order yesterday in Geraldton Magistrate’s Court but on Monday was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by allegedly making contact with the alleged victim. It is the fifth crime he has been accused of, adding to the string of offences against a child in Rangeway between August 1, 2016 and December 1, 2019. He has yet to enter pleas. In court, prosecutor Acting Sergeant Beau Jones said the man’s wife had been allegedly acting as a “go-between”, passing messages from the accused man to others. “The content of messages were clearly aiming to influence her to withdraw charges and were likely to have a significant impact on her state of mind,” he said. “We have extreme fears for her wellbeing and safety should further contact occur.” The man continues to be remanded in custody at Greenough Regional Prison and police allege he has used “codes to avoid detection” when passing messages. Sgt Jones said it had been confirmed some of the messages were passed to the alleged victim, the man’s 16-year-old biological daughter. alleged he has attempted to isolate the complainant from other family members,” he said. “She’s extremely fearful and vulnerable.” He has been charged with persistently engaging in sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16 years, knowingly sexually penetrating a child who was a lineal or de facto relative and procuring, enticing or encouraging a child who was a lineal relative to do an indecent act as well as, in September this year, possessing child exploitation material. Magistrate Chris Miocevich adjourned the matter for a week to give time for the new charge to be factored into the home detention report but said he had “major concerns of the alleged interference”. “From what’s been said here it’s going to be a plea of not guilty,” he said. “We’re looking at a year and a half until it goes to trial.” The accused man has not yet entered any pleas. and will reappear in court on November 26.