A South Coast man who police allege groomed a teenage relative for sex by setting up a bank account, buying gifts, and telling her he loved her, will stand trial later this year.
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The 51-year-old will stand trial in Bega Local Court on November 4, after pleading not guilty to procuring a child for unlawful sexual activity, indecent assault of a person under 16, common assault, intimidation intending to cause fear and using a carriage service to menace.
Magistrate Doug Dick ruled on Wednesday, July 24 the Crown prosecution can call a witness, also a female relative, to testify in regard to the man's alleged tendency to groom victims before committing child sex offences.
Magistrate Dick said a statement from the then teenage girl, captured on three hours of police cassette tape recordings in 2004, shares "a number of common factors" with a 2018 statement given by his alleged teenage victim.
He said the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had allegedly shown "strikingly similar behavioural patterns" in both statements, adding he could not see any evidence of "concoction or collusion" between the two.
Crown prosecutor Alice Pinkerton said there was "significant similarity" between the two statements, and the man's "sexual interest in female children" played a part in his behaviour before and after the offences.
"Both girls give evidence that the accused has given them certain gifts, then commits the acts," Ms Pinkerton said.
She alleged the man bought both girls gifts including mobile phones, made "persistent" phone calls, set up Westpac bank accounts and made financial transfers into them, told both girls he loved them, touched both girls' legs and had pictures of both around his house.
The man's lawyer Scott Corish said while his client is facing "extremely serious allegations", the gift giving, which included a horse, was not "linked to the commission of the offences" and was not part of a process of "grooming" or "procuring".
Mr Corish said the opening of bank accounts and the purchasing of gifts for the girls "does not prove he intended to act inappropriately".
"There's just no link," he said.
While he did agree there was "inappropriate affection" between the man and the girls, he told the court his client's behavior 17 years ago with the witness should not be included in the prosecution's case.
Police allege the man's offences occurred between 2016 and 2018. He was arrested on January 23 this year by the Far South Coast Child Abuse Unit.
Magistrate Dick adjourned the matter for mention at Bega Local Court on October 14. He estimated the trial would last at least five days.
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