Previous Australian Lawmaker Sentenced for More Than 60 Months for Sex Crimes
One-time public official sentenced of sexually abusing two young men connected through professional activities received a sentence to nearly six years in detention.
Trial Information
The former official, mid-forties, has been in jail since July after judicial panel convicted him of raping an individual and indecently assaulting another individual, in separate incidents in 2013 then 2015.
Ward acted for the coastal town of the district in the New South Wales government from the year 2011. He stepped down as a political party minister when allegations came to light in 2021 but resisted resigning from parliament and won again in 2023.
Sentencing Details
The presiding officer the judicial figure evaluated the defendant's condition of vision impairment in the ruling and concluded "no different consequence other than detention is appropriate".
The convicted individual, who participated via remote connection at Parramatta District Court, will complete at no less than nearly four years in detention before he can apply for parole.
Justice Shead said the legal system needs to "issue a clear statement to potential criminals that illegal behaviors such as this will be faced with salutary penalties".
Case Background
She also said the convicted man had "avoided punishment for multiple years and lived freely free from a treatment or penalty for his crimes during that period".
Post-trial, the individual launched a unsuccessful legal bid to stay in his position and left office moments before the congress could oust him.
His legal team has indicated before he aims to challenge the conviction.
Case Facts
His nine-week trial in the state court was told that he brought a intoxicated 18-year-old man to his home in 2013 and sexually abused him three times, despite resistance attempts to fight back.
In 2015, he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old government employee at his property after a gathering at government offices.
He had claimed the 2015 rape never occurred, and that the first victim was inaccurate regarding their encounter from the earlier year.
The state's attorneys argued that striking similarities in the accounts of the two men, who had no connection to the other, proved they were telling the truth.
Court members debated for three days before announcing the guilty verdicts.
Ward's resignation caused a by-election in his constituency in September, which was claimed by the challenger.
