Ex- Down Under Politician Sentenced for More Than 60 Months for Sex Crimes
One-time lawmaker sentenced of sexually abusing two victims he met through professional activities has been sentenced to nearly six years in detention.
Legal Proceedings
The defendant, 44, was in custody since mid-year after judicial panel determined his guilt of sexually assaulting a victim and sexually abusing another, in different occasions in 2013 then 2015.
Ward served the coastal town of the regional area in the New South Wales legislature from over a decade ago. He resigned as a government minister when the claims emerged in 2021 but declined to leave the legislature and won again in 2023.
Court Ruling
Justice the judicial figure evaluated the defendant's condition of sight disability in the judgment and determined "no different consequence besides incarceration would be suitable".
The defendant, who participated via digital means at Parramatta District Court, will serve at no less than 45 months in prison before he can request conditional freedom.
Justice Shead stated the judicial system needs to "issue a clear statement to similar individuals that criminal acts such as this will be subject to serious punishments".
Further Details
She also said Ward had "escaped justice for a decade and lived freely absent a treatment or consequence for his crimes during that period".
After his conviction, the individual attempted a rejected appeal attempt to continue in his position and left office shortly before the members could oust him.
His legal team has previously said he aims to contest the guilty verdict.
Incident Details
Ward's nine-week trial in the state court heard that he asked a intoxicated teenager to his residence in 2013 and indecently assaulted him three times, despite the victim's efforts to resist.
Two years later, he attacked a young political staffer at his home after a gathering at parliament.
Ward had argued the later assault never occurred, and that the additional accuser was inaccurate regarding their meeting from the first incident.
However, prosecutors argued that notable parallels in the testimonies of the victims, who did not know one another, demonstrated they were accurate in their accounts.
A jury deliberated for multiple days before returning the findings of guilt.
The political exit led to a special election in Kiama in last fall, which was claimed by the Labor candidate.