Ex- Down Under Lawmaker Sentenced for Above Half a Decade for Sexual Offenses

One-time public official found guilty of attacking two victims encountered via his position received a sentence to 69 months in detention.

Trial Information

The former official, 44, remained in jail since last summer after the court determined his guilt of sexually assaulting an individual and indecently assaulting a second person, in separate incidents in over two years.

Ward represented the seaside community of Kiama in the New South Wales legislature from over a decade ago. He stepped down as a government minister when accusations emerged in 2021 but refused to quit parliament and returned to office in 2023.

Court Ruling

Judge Kara Shead considered his visual impairment of vision impairment in the judgment and determined "no different consequence except for incarceration is appropriate".

The convicted individual, who was present via digital means at the courthouse, will serve at no less than three years and nine months in prison before he can request parole.

Justice Shead declared the court needs to "deliver a strong warning to like-minded offenders that sexual offendings such as this will be subject to salutary penalties".

Additional Information

She also said Ward had "evaded consequences for ten years and lived freely absent a treatment or punishment for his actions during those years".

After his conviction, the individual attempted a rejected appeal attempt to continue in government and resigned just prior to the legislature could expel him.

Defense attorneys has previously said he plans to contest the conviction.

Case Facts

The defendant's lengthy proceedings in the judicial venue learned that he asked a drunk teenager to his property in 2013 and sexually abused him three times, despite his attempts to fight back.

Subsequently, he raped a mid-twenties government employee at his property after an event at the legislature.

He had argued the later assault was fabricated, and that the first victim was misremembering their meeting from the first incident.

But the prosecution contended that significant resemblances in the statements of the two men, who had no connection to each other, proved they were being honest.

Court members deliberated for 72 hours before returning the findings of guilt.

Ward's resignation caused a replacement vote in the district in September, which was secured by the opposition party.