Ex- Down Under Public Figure Imprisoned for Over Five Years for Sexual Offenses
One-time public official sentenced of assaulting two victims he met through his position received a sentence to five years and nine months in prison.
Case Details
The former official, mid-forties, remained in jail since last summer after judicial panel found him guilty of attacking an individual and sexually abusing a second person, in separate incidents in over two years.
The politician acted for the seaside community of the district in the New South Wales government from the year 2011. He resigned as a political party cabinet member when the claims emerged in recent years but resisted resigning from the legislature and returned to office in last year.
Court Ruling
Judge the court official took into account Ward's disability of sight disability in the judgment and found "no different consequence besides incarceration is appropriate".
The defendant, who appeared via remote connection at Parramatta District Court, will serve at minimum nearly four years in custody before he can apply for early release.
Justice Shead declared the court needs to "deliver a strong warning to like-minded offenders that illegal behaviors like these will be subject to significant consequences".
Further Details
The judge added the defendant had "escaped justice for ten years and lived freely without a rehabilitation program or consequence for his actions during those years".
Following the verdict, the individual launched a unsuccessful court challenge to continue in parliament and left office shortly before the legislature could remove him.
His legal team has previously said he plans to contest the conviction.
Trial Evidence
His extended court case in the judicial venue was told that he invited a intoxicated teenager to his residence in 2013 and sexually abused him on multiple occasions, despite his attempts to resist.
In 2015, he sexually assaulted a 24-year-old office worker at his residence after a function at parliament.
Ward had argued the later assault never occurred, and that the first victim was misremembering their encounter from the first incident.
However, prosecutors contended that significant resemblances in the testimonies of the two men, who had no connection to each other, demonstrated they were telling the truth.
The panel debated for three days before returning the guilty verdicts.
The political exit prompted a by-election in Kiama in last fall, which was secured by the opposition party.
