A Broome District Court jury found the 54-year-old guilty of three counts of sexually abusing the girl when she was six and seven.
Warning: this story contains references to child sexual abuse.
A 54-year-old Kimberley man has been sentenced to 10 years in jail after a jury in the Broome District Court found him guilty of raping his niece when she was six and seven years old, the ABC reports.
The man, who is not being named to protect the victim, was found guilty on Thursday 29 October 2026 of all three counts of sexual penetration of a child under 13.
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The court heard the offending happened between June 2016 and June 2017, although police could not establish exact dates. Two of the charges related to abuse at Middle Lagoon, about 180 kilometres north of Broome on the Dampier Peninsula, and the third happened at a home in Broome.
The victim, now 17, gave evidence through a prerecorded cross-examination played to the jury. She told the court she did not tell anyone about the abuse until last year.
Photo: W. Bulach via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). File photo of Broome's Chinatown precinct.
In her closing address, prosecutor Tracy Tan asked the jury to consider the complainant's credibility, describing her evidence as fair, measured and honest. She also addressed the long delay before the girl spoke up.
"It doesn't mean it's not true." - Tracy Tan, prosecutor
Ms Tan told the jury that traumatic experiences can take a long time to talk about.
Sentencing the man, Judge Amanda Burrows described the offending as serious. She said the victim had suffered more abuse than the conduct he was being sentenced for, and that while he was not being punished for that wider conduct, it showed the offending "was not in isolation".
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His sentence has been backdated to August 2026, and he will be eligible for parole in 2034.
If this story has raised concerns for you, support is available. Call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. In WA, the Sexual Assault Resource Centre's 24-hour crisis line is (08) 6458 1828. If a child is in immediate danger, call 000.
Sources: ABC Kimberley.
Hero photo: Bahnfrend via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). File photo of the Broome Courthouse.
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